White Rose, Black Rose
by Amberle-chan
Summary: Soon after she moves to Kyoto, Megumi's life is threatened. Is it someone from her dark past? Aoshi is determined to protect her no matter what the cost. This story is finished! Please read and review!
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer**: Rurouni Kenshin and Co. belongs to Watsuki-sensei and Co. I'm just letting my imagination play with them for a little while.  
  
**Summary**: Megumi begins a new life in Kyoto, but soon after she arrives, her life is threatened. Is it someone from her dark past? Aoshi is determined to protect no matter what the cost.  
  
**Author's Notes**: I'm deeply grateful for all the help and suggestions that my beta reader, Eriesalia, gave me with this story. Thank you very much, S! You are the best!

Flashback sequences are in italics.

_White Rose, Black Rose_  
  
By Amberle-chan  
  
Chapter One  
  
Megumi sighed as she closed the clinic door behind her. It should have been another exhausting day of non-stop patients demanding her medical expertise, but once again, as had been the case so many times in the last several weeks, the clinic had remained empty for most of the day. She let the melancholy that had been hovering so near all day finally descend completely, and she remembered with deep sadness the events of two months past.

* * *

_"Takani-sensei! Takani-sensei! Please you have to help my little girl!"  
  
Megumi turned to the man who had just burst through her clinic door, and saw him holding a small girl of perhaps seven or eight years of age in his arms. The little girl was unconscious.  
  
"Here! Put her the bed!" Megumi ordered. The man laid the child gently on the bed and stood off to the side, his face anxious and frightened, as she bent over the little girl's still form. Megumi pressed two fingers to the child's forehead while her other hand wrapped lightly around the girl's tiny wrist. She had no fever, but her pulse was erratic. She opened the girl's eyelids; her pupils were dilated.  
  
"How long has she been like this?" Megumi asked as she reached for her stethoscope and placed it against the child's chest. The child's heart beat was also irregular. "Did she fall? Hit her head?" Megumi ran her fingers around the little girl's skull looking for any bumps or open wounds leaking blood.  
  
"It happened just a little while ago. She was playing with some other children when she just collapsed. Please help her!"  
  
Megumi moved her stethoscope to the child's lungs; her breathing was raspy, but from the sounds she heard, she didn't think there was any fluid in her lungs. She turned to the man "Why don't you wait in the other room? I promise I'll do what I can."  
  
"No, please, I have to stay here."  
  
"Sir, with all due respect, you'll be in my way. Please wait in the other room!" Megumi said.  
  
The man nodded, his pale face terrified as he backed away into the clinic's waiting area.  
  
Megumi bent over the child again, examining her for any other signs or symptoms of her unconscious state, and after not finding any, she once more listened to the girl's heart. The beat was still erratic. The problem had to be the child's heart. Then as she moved the stethoscope further down the girl's chest, she heard the heart stop; a moment later the child's breathing rattled and then halted.  
  
"No!" Megumi exclaimed under her breath as she bent the child's head back and placed her mouth over the little girl's lips. She watched as the child's chest rose with each breath she gave, but her fingers pressed against the child's neck told her that the heart had not resumed beating. She rubbed the little girl's chest, hoping to stimulate the heart, but there was no response. She bent down once more to breathe into her mouth. She repeated each maneuver several times. Minutes passed. Megumi finally straightened up and placed one hand gently on the little girl's hair and kissed her forehead. "Be at peace, little one," she whispered.  
  
Megumi turned toward the closed door to her waiting room, steeling herself, gathering herself together. Telling anyone that a loved one had died was always hard, but informing a parent that their child had died had always been the most difficult task she had ever faced as a doctor.  
  
She opened the door. The man rose from where he sat and knew instantly from the expression on Megumi's face that his little girl was gone. "No!" he screamed as he barged past into the examination room. He gathered his little girl's still form into his arms, sobbing.  
  
"I'm so sorry," Megumi said quietly. "I think it was her heart. I did everything that I could."  
  
"You were supposed to help her!" the man gasped as he cradled the girl in his arms. "You were supposed to make her better!"  
  
"Sir, I know you don't want to hear this now, but I really did do everything medically possible. We know so little about the heart..."  
  
"You were supposed to help her! My little girl is dead and it's all your fault!" the man screamed. "Murderer!"_

* * *

Megumi knew in heart that she had done everything that she could to save the child. Absolutely everything, but the little girl had died despite all of her best efforts. The girl's father, a man whom she had never met before and whose name she had never discovered, blamed her and decried to everyone in Aizu who would listen that she was a "quack," and a woman who should never have been allowed to practice medicine in the first place. Practicing medicine was for men, not for women who did not know they were doing. She had heard all of these words before, back in Tokyo, when she had refused to treat someone who had been faking illness and she had been proven right through the help of her friends, but this time the evidence was against her. A little girl was dead, and none of her friends was there to support her. This time she was alone.  
  
It took only a week after the little girl's death for someone to remember her dark past with Kanryu Takeda, and then the rumors began to circulate, that she was a woman who took pleasure in seeing people hurt instead of helping them. Within a few days, the number of patients who had come to see her regularly had dwindled down to no one, and the clinic had remained empty ever since.  
  
The short walk back to her small house did nothing to lighten Megumi's depression. Several people passed her on the street as she went home, all of whom had once acknowledged her with bows and smiles of respect, but now they completely ignored her, pretending she did not exist. All of the good she had done, all the people she had saved had been forgotten with one death.  
  
She stifled a sob as she entered her house and lit the lamp beside the door. She sank down into the nearest chair, letting the medicine box she always kept with her clatter to the floor. It was just not the fact that the clinic remained empty and that there were no patients demanding her attention anymore that had her depressed. It was the overwhelming loneliness. It had been almost two years since she had returned to Aizu after leaving Tokyo to search for her family and begin a new life for herself. Finding any of her family members had so far been unsuccessful, and now the life she had started to build was falling apart before her very eyes. Before the death of the little girl, her days had been filled with people who needed her, and now there was no one who needed her, no one who wanted her.  
  
She rose from the chair and proceeded to walk to the kitchen to make her evening meal when she spotted the envelope that had been slipped under her door. She had not received any mail in several days. She stooped down and picked up the letter and a small smile flitted across her face as she recognized the handwriting. It was a letter from Kaoru Himura. She opened the envelope hastily, hoping for good news, anything to lighten her mood.  
  
The letter was filled with the day-to-day activities of the Himura family. The number of students had grown drastically at the dojo, and with Kaoru's attention taken up with Kenji, she had finally declared Yahiko the assistant master of the Kamiya Kashin style. Kenshin was still performing the daily chores of the household and as an occasional consultant to the police department and army, but he only helped them out when he deemed it would protect other people and not hurt anyone. Kenji was growing bigger everyday. Sanosuke had also written them once since Megumi had received the last letter from Kaoru. He had not said much about his exploits in Mongolia, but had decided to move on from Asia to give his luck in America a try. Dr. Gensai sent his love.  
  
"So everyone here in Tokyo is fine," Megumi read out loud to herself, as she scanned the last paragraph of the letter, "and we hope that you are doing well in Aizu. However, if you are not too busy, we want you to visit us very soon. Love, Kaoru."  
  
"Tokyo," Megumi mused as she put the letter down on a kitchen counter and began to prepare a small meal for herself. Yes, it would be nice to visit the Himuras and talk with Dr. Gensai. It would be just what she needed to escape the oppressiveness that had become her life, to go where people did not care about her past, to where people loved her. "Maybe I'll do more than just visit," Megumi said aloud to the emptiness around her. There was nothing left in Aizu for her now.

* * *

A little more than a week later, she stood in front of Kamiya dojo gate. She had written the Himuras the day after their letter arrived, informing them that she had every intention to arrive on that day. She had closed the clinic temporarily in Aizu and left the care of her house to a neighbor. She had decided not to leave Aizu completely until she discovered how things would go in Tokyo.  
  
She opened the gate and smiled. Everything looked the same as it had eight months before when she had lasted visited after Kenji's birth. She could hear the sounds of the students practicing in the dojo, Yahiko's voice loudly instructing them. Kenshin was hanging clothes up to dry in the light summer breeze. Kaoru was nowhere in sight, but then she heard Kenji's laughter float out into the yard from inside the house. These people were her loved ones. Perhaps she should never have left.  
  
Kenshin turned around quickly when he heard the dojo gate open and he smiled as he spotted her. "Megumi-dono!" he exclaimed as he crossed the dojo yard to greet her. "I was planning to meet you at the train station, that I was."  
  
"I decided to catch an earlier train," Megumi replied, smiling back at him. He was still so handsome in her eyes, even though his heart would never be hers. She had given up on that dream a long time ago. "I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Don't be silly," Kenshin replied as he reached out to take her bag from her hand. He led her back to the dojo. At that moment, Kaoru appeared on the porch, Kenji cuddled close in her arms.  
  
"Megumi!" Kaoru cried, stepping off the porch and rushing over to give her friend a one-handed hug while she transferred Kenji to the other arm. "We're so glad you're here!"  
  
"So am I, Kaoru, so am I," Megumi breathed as her smiled widened. "I've missed you all so much."  
  
She reached out to tickle Kenji's face with one finger; the baby gurgled and grabbed onto her finger tightly. No one could ever doubt that Kenji was Kenshin's and Kaoru's baby with his mop of dark auburn hair and blue-violet eyes.  
  
"Come into the house, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said.  
  
Megumi followed them back into the dojo. She was already feeling better than she had in weeks.  
  
Yahiko joined them for tea a few minutes later after he dismissed his students for the day. Megumi was startled by how much he had grown in the last two years.  
  
"Kami-sama, how tall are you now, Yahiko?" Megumi asked.  
  
The young teenager shrugged. "Don't know, but busu has been having trouble beating me lately."  
  
"Yahiko...," Kaoru growled, half a smile and half a smirk on her lips.  
  
"And how is Tsubame?" Megumi inquired teasingly.  
  
Yahiko tried to hide his blush in his tea cup. "Fine," he muttered.  
  
She spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening listening to all the latest news of Tokyo and the daily lives of the Kamiya dojo family, especially little Kenji's baby antics. Then as the moon began to rise, after Yahiko had gone to visit Tsubame and Kenji had been put to bed for the night, the subject came up that she had been dreading all day long.  
  
"And how are things in Aizu, Megumi-dono?" Kenshin asked after Kaoru had returned to them on the porch. "You have said nothing about yourself and the clinic all day, that you haven't."  
  
Megumi sighed and smiled wanly at him. "I could never hide anything from you, could I, Kens-san?" she said wistfully. She bent her head down, letting her long, dark hair hide her face. "Things are not well."  
  
"What is it, Megumi?" Kaoru asked quietly, her voice full of concern for her friend.  
  
Megumi did not lift up her head, her voice nearly breaking, as she told them of her troubles in Aizu, about the little girl's death and how that one event had affected her practice.  
  
"Oh, Megumi...," Kaoru breathed, her expression full of sympathy. Kenshin's face was just as concerned.  
  
Megumi finally lifted her head up to look at her two friends and tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to take hold of her, but after seeing the concern and love on their faces, she broke down. The last two months had been too painful, too lacking in any warmth from another human being. She could not stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks, feeling both disappointed by a life that was not working and grateful for her friends care.  
  
Kaoru knelt by her side and put an arm around Megumi's shoulders, trying to comfort her. "I'm...all right," Megumi finally managed to gasp after her tears lessened. "It's just that I don't know what to do now... ."  
  
"Well, you can stay as long as you like, Megumi," Kaoru said insistently. Megumi looked up at Kenshin, who nodded his head once in assent.  
  
"You need to find your strength again, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said sagely. "You've been alone far too long to do that. You found it here in Tokyo once before, perhaps that is why you returned here."  
  
Megumi smiled in genuine gratitude at him, knowing that he wasn't speaking about Tokyo in general, but that small, special space in Tokyo occupied by the Kamiya dojo and the people who lived in its environs. Here she was treasured and loved, and here she would find healing once again.

* * *

Two weeks passed, and Megumi found herself settling into life at the dojo. She helped with the general chores and taking care of Kenji so that Kaoru could also teach her students. She found herself relaxing for the first time in months, contented in the company of her friends. Then after those first two weeks, she began to grow restless with a need to practice medicine again. She went to visit Dr. Gensai, who had retired, and who introduced her to the doctor who took over his practice, Dr. Hikaru Takei.  
  
It was the middle of the morning when Dr. Gensai led her back to the old building that housed the clinic. There were already several people waiting to see Dr. Takei, all of whom smiled when they saw her enter.  
  
"Takani-sensei!" one older woman exclaimed. "I didn't know you were back in Tokyo."  
  
"Just for a while, Fukao-san," Megumi replied. "I came to see if Takei- sensei would like any help."  
  
Suddenly there were three children by her side, two young girls and an older boy, clamoring for her attention. "Takani-sensei, Takani-sensei!" the two girls cried. "We missed you!"  
  
"I missed you, too!" Megumi said as she bent down. The youngest girl hugged her. "I hope you're not sick, Kimiko-chan." The little girl smiled shyly and shook her head.  
  
"Okaasan's going to have another baby," the boy told her. "I hope it's a boy. I want a brother!"  
  
Megumi stood up, smiled at the boy, and then turned to Dr. Gensai. "I see it's still as busy as ever."  
  
"That's why I'm sure Dr. Takei could use as an assistant," Dr. Gensai replied. "I'm sure that he'll take you once I've given him my recommendation."  
  
At that moment, an expectant mother stepped out of the examination room followed by a short, bright-eyed man with dark hair touched by gray at the temples. The man smiled and bowed. "Ah, Gensai-sensei. A pleasure as always." He moved in a little closer to the older man. "I could really use a little help today," he whispered into Dr. Gensai's ear.  
  
"That's why I'm here," Dr. Gensai murmured back. He pointed toward Megumi. "This is Megumi Takani. Megumi-san, this is Hikaru Takei."  
  
Dr. Takei smiled and bowed. "Ah, yes," he said, smiling. "Dr. Gensai has spoken highly of you, Takani-sensei. Please come in."  
  
He led them both into the examination room. It had not changed much in the two years since Megumi had left Tokyo. The shelves were still overflowing with bottles, jars, and books. Various instruments lay haphazardly on the tables. Megumi smiled. It seemed that Dr. Takei also possessed the same penchant as Dr. Gensai for not putting things back where they belonged. It was so familiar and comforting.  
  
"Megumi-san's staying in Tokyo for awhile," Dr. Gensai said. "She would be a great assistant for you, Hikaru-san." He smiled broadly. "She certainly was a great assistant to me."  
  
Megumi bowed to the older doctor, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Dr. Gensai." She then turned to the other man. "I haven't decided if I'm moving here permanently yet," she explained, "but there's a distinct possibility that I may. I've been here for two weeks now, and I would really like to start working again."  
  
Hikaru Takei smiled. "Well, as you know doubt saw, I could use the help," he said. "And I have heard very good things about you from both Dr. Gensai and some former patients of yours." He paused for several moments thinking, his eyes staring at the closed door to the examination room. "I do need help, even if it is temporary. Very well, Takani-sensei, you can be my assistant. But," he said, cocking his head in the direction of the waiting room and rubbing his jaw, "do you think you could start today?"  
  
"Hai," she agreed, laughing.

* * *

Another four weeks passed, and Megumi found herself enjoying life once more. Her depression had disappeared. She awoke each day looking forward to working in the clinic with Dr. Takei. He kept her very busy, and as the days passed, she began to feel useful and needed again. Dr. Takei was a wonderful doctor who lavished care and attention on his patients, something she admired deeply. He went out of his way to make sure that he could at least make his patients laugh once during their examinations, no matter how dire the circumstances. He was a pleasure to work for, and she returned to the Kamiya dojo late into the evenings tired but gratified by her work. As Megumi walked back to the dojo early one evening after spending another hectic day at the clinic, she realized that she had made her decision. She would stay in Tokyo. It was in Tokyo that she had been happiest years ago, and now she was feeling happy again. Aizu held nothing for her but sorrowful memories and an empty heart. She began to think about finding a small house for herself, so she would not overstay her welcome at the Himuras, but one that was close enough to the dojo so that she could easily visit them when she wanted. Bright dreams of her own garden filled with plants, herbs, and flowers, especially roses, were floating through her mind when she stepped into dojo yard.  
  
A very excited Yahiko ran over to greet her. Megumi smiled in amusement at the tall teenager who, in many ways, was still a little boy. "Hey, Megumi!" he exclaimed, waving his hand at her. "It's about time you came home. We've got news! We're going to Kyoto!"  
  
"Kyoto?" she asked as they both crossed the yard toward the house.  
  
Kenshin, who was sitting on the porch with Kaoru at his side and Kenji squirming in his arms, nodded. "We received a letter from Misao-dono and Okina-san," he explained. "We have an invitation to visit them next week."  
  
"The invitation includes you, Megumi," Kaoru said, taking her fussing son from his father's arms. Kenji soon quieted. "I told them that you were here. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"No, of course not," Megumi replied as she settled down next to them. Even though she knew that the Himuras and Yahiko had been to visit the residents of the Aoiya at least once or twice in the last two years, she had not been back to Kyoto since she had gone there to treat Kenshin after his fight with Shishio. It brought back a flood of memories for her, both pleasant and unpleasant, memories that were interrupted by Yahiko's excitement.  
  
"Okina sent train tickets for all of us," the teenager informed her  
  
"We think that there's some special occasion happening," Kenshin said.  
  
"Okina didn't say much in his letter, just that it was a surprise, and that he wanted all of us there." Kaoru supplied.  
  
"Then, of course, I'll come, too." Megumi said. 


	2. Chapter Two

> **Author's Notes:** The flashback scene in this chapter is in _italics_.  
  
_White Rose, Black Rose_
> 
> _by Amberle-chan_  
  
Chapter Two  
  
The following week they all stepped off the train in Kyoto, laden down with bags and gifts for the residents of the Aoiya. Megumi sighed as she put her bag down on the station platform and then she stretched, not caring if anyone stared at her because of her strange movements. She had always found traveling by train tiring and constraining. She turned to Kaoru and saw someone who looked and felt worse than she did. Kenji had fussed during the whole trip, obviously finding the noise of the train's engine and occasional tooting horn upsetting to his tiny baby ears. He had not settled down until the last hour of the trip. He now lay quietly in his mother's arms, finally asleep. Kenshin approached his wife, putting a supportive arm around her waist, knowing how tired she was. He had tried to quiet Kenji also, but his son always seemed to find more comfort in his mother's arms.  
  
Yahiko put his own bags down on the platform and began to scan the crowd for Aoshi and Misao, who said that they would meet everyone at the station. He was surprised when he saw Kuro and Omasu approach them.  
  
"Himura-san! Takani-sensei!" Kuro exclaimed as he pushed through the crowd toward them. People parted around him, giving the heavily muscled man a wide berth.  
  
Megumi turned to face him and Omasu and could immediately tell that something was wrong; both of them were wearing very grim expressions.  
  
"Kuro-san, Omasu-dono," Kenshin greeted them, bowing. "We were expecting Aoshi-san and Misao-dono. Is anything wrong?"  
  
"There's been an incident," Kuro said.  
  
"An incident?" Megumi asked, stepping up to stand by Kenshin's side.  
  
"There was a disturbance at the temple this morning," Omasu explained. "We don't know the whole story yet, but someone shot Aoshi-san!"  
  
"What?" Kaoru gasped.  
  
Kuro nodded. "He was taken to the hospital. Okina and Megumi are there now," he turned to Megumi and bowed. "Takani-sensei, we have a carriage waiting. Will you please come?"  
  
Megumi nodded once, quickly picked up her medicine box, and turned to her friends. "I'll see you at the Aoiya, later, ok?" She followed Kuro through the crowd, leaving them with Omasu to take them to the Aoiya.
> 
> * * *
> 
> "Megumi!" Misao cried when she spotted the doctor walking down the hallway toward her and Okina. The young girl ran over to Megumi and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're here. Please, you have to help him!"  
  
Megumi smiled. "Don't worry, Misao-chan, I will," she assured the girl. She nodded at Okina in greeting, who was standing beside a closed door. Okina nodded grimly in reply and opened the door. Megumi stepped into the room. Aoshi was lying on a western-style bed, unconscious, his abdomen wrapped in bandages. A male doctor, only a little older than Megumi, was bent over Aoshi's still form, peering into his eyes. He straightened up as they entered the room.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
"This is Takani-sensei," Okina said, "the doctor I told you about. Megumi- san, this is Benjiro Inoue. He's been treating Aoshi since we brought him here."  
  
He smirked as he looked at Megumi with contempt. "You never said she was a woman."  
  
Okina took one step further into the room, his expression angry. "Nevertheless, she is an excellent doctor," the older man said, his voice barely containing his fury. "She is the one doctor I trust to take care of Aoshi-san."  
  
Megumi smiled at the older man in gratitude, but then her face tightened into a frown as she turned back to the other physician. She was used to the gender bias that was usually thrown her way, but it didn't make her any less angry each time it happened. "I've taken bullets out of him before," she stated blandly. "Check his left shoulder, sensei. You'll find a small scar." She couldn't help thinking of the many things that had changed since the time she and Aoshi Shinomori had worked for Kanryu Takeda. She had grown and changed, and she wondered if Aoshi had changed at all as well, or if he was still the same cold, unfeeling person she had known then.
> 
> * * *
> 
> _"Takani-sensei!" Hannya called up to her tower room. "The Okashira's been shot! Get down here now!"  
  
Megumi reached for her medicine box, walked over to open the door, and paused. Why should she help the man who kept her a prisoner to be an opium woman for Kanryu Takeda? Then her father's handsome face flashed through her mind, and once more she heard his voice as he taught her the first lessons of medicine. "You must treat everyone, no matter what the circumstances, Megumi-chan. Doctors cannot have prejudices. If someone before you is hurt, you treat them. It is your duty as a doctor."  
  
She began to walk down the stairs; Hannya met her two landings down and led her to Aoshi's room. He was laying on his futon, his skin gray and ashen, bleeding from a wound in his shoulder. She knelt by his side and began to remove the shirt away from his shoulder; he did not say anything or even look at her as he gritted his teeth silently against the agony the slight movement caused.  
  
"I'm going to need some boiled water," she said to the four Oniwanbanshuu standing in the doorway. Beshimi turned and ran down the stairs.  
  
While she waited for Beshimi to return with the water, she opened her medicine box and pulled out a small knife, some white bandages, and a small piece of leather. A few minutes later, Beshimi returned with a full basin of steaming water and some towels. She washed the area around the bullet wound clean of blood and then picked up the small piece of toughened leather.  
  
"You should bite down on this," she instructed Aoshi, placing the leather between his teeth," She then turned to Hannya and Shikijo, who were still standing in the doorway. "You'll have to hold him down."  
  
Both men knelt at their leader's head and feet and held onto his arms and legs. Megumi spent the next two hours taking out the bullet from Aoshi's shoulder and stitching up the wound. He remained conscious throughout the entire procedure, barely even moving and not even crying out behind the leather in his mouth, as she cut into his flesh. Yet, despite his stoicism, she could tell that he was in agony by the way his blue eyes widened and occasionally deepened to a blue-green color. When she finished bandaging his shoulder, she removed the leather from his mouth. Aoshi did not say anything to her, but just stared at her with shadowed eyes, as she placed her instruments and the remaining bandages back into her box and stood up.  
  
"You're welcome," she said sarcastically as she turned and left the room.  
  
Megumi spent the next several days checking her patient's wound for infection. After more than a week had gone by, she returned to his room once more and removed the stitches. Once more, the Okashira did not speak to her as she worked. When the last stitch was removed, she closed her medicine box, stood up, and strode to door.  
  
"Takani-sensei," Aoshi's voice spoke from behind her. Her back stiffened but she did not turn around. He spoke once more. "Thank you."_
> 
> * * *
> 
> Dr. Inoue pulled the sleeping yukata gently away from Aoshi's shoulder; there was a small, but well-healed scar there. He pursued his lips and stepped away from the bed, indicating that he was willing to let her examine Aoshi.  
  
Megumi first checked Aoshi's pulse and then she pulled back his eyelids to examine his eyes. She then gently unwrapped the bandages around Aoshi's abdomen. She could tell that the bullet was still in his body and had not gone through his back. The wound had been properly cleaned and appeared to have stopped bleeding, but that did not mean that Aoshi was not bleeding internally.  
  
"How long ago did this happen, Okina?" Megumi asked.  
  
It was Misao who answered. "Only a little more than two hours ago, Megumi." The girl was wringing her hands, her jade eyes wide and frightened. "I went to the temple to fetch Aoshi-sama before we were going to meet you and the Himuras at the train station. There was a man attacking a woman just outside the temple grounds. Aoshi-sama went to go stop him, but before I could help, the man pulled out a gun and shot him. He just shot him!"  
  
Okina lovingly put one arm around Misao's shoulders as she began to cry. Megumi tried to reassure her once more. "Don't worry, Misao, I'm sure that Aoshi-san will be fine once we get the bullet out of him. Inoue-sensei is a good doctor, too. He knew that Aoshi had to be stable before attempting surgery in the abdomen." Benjiro Inoue's eyebrows rose in surprise at the compliment from a woman he had just insulted. "And Aoshi-san does appear to be stable, Inoue-sensei. Were you preparing for surgery when I came in?"  
  
The man's brown eyes were still startled as he nodded. "Hai, I was just examining him one last time."  
  
"Then let's get started," Megumi said.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Several hours later, Megumi stepped out of the small surgical room where she and Dr. Inoue had operated on Aoshi. She was tired, but very satisfied. After removing the bullet, she and Dr. Inoue had discovered that it had nicked Aoshi's liver, but the damage was easily repaired. She headed down to the small area where she knew everyone would be anxiously waiting for her good news.  
  
She wasn't surprised to see that practically the whole staff of the Aoiya was there, either sitting on the floor or leaning against the walls. She wasn't even startled that the Himuras were there as well. However, she was surprised by the presence of a short, handsome young man who had Misao's head pillowed against his shoulder.  
  
Every single person there stood up or straightened their backs as she entered the room. She beamed at them. "Aoshi-san is going to be just fine. He'll need to rest and recover for the next few weeks, but he'll be just fine."  
  
There was a collective sigh around the room as Okina approached her and bowed deeply. "We are once again deeply in your debt, Megumi-san."  
  
Megumi bowed in reply. "I was happy to help, Okina-san. However, Dr. Inoue also did an excellent job of taking care of Aoshi before I even arrived."  
  
"Then I will have to thank him also," the older man said.  
  
The young man holding Misao kissed her temple as she sagged against him in relief. "See, Misao? I told you Aoshi-san would be fine."  
  
Megumi's eyebrows rose in surprise at the endearment. Okina noticed her expression and explained. "That's right, you haven't met Misao's intended yet, have you?" he said. "This is Seta Soujiro."  
  
The young man, who she had heard of before, but never met, bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Takani-sensei," he said.  
  
Megumi was even more startled. How had anyone who had once worked for Makoto Shishio become involved with Misao? He must have changed very much over the five years since that incident if he could have stolen Misao's heart away from Aoshi. "Intended?" she asked.  
  
"That's what the surprise was," Misao answered, her eyes pouting for just a moment. "Soujiro and I were planning to have our yui-no later on this week." "So we'll wait, Misao," Soujiro said, "until Aoshi-san is better. I don't mind."  
  
Misao grasped Soujiro's hand tightly and smiled, a smile just for him. "Thank you, Sou." She turned toward Megumi. "Can we see him, Megumi?"  
  
Megumi shook her head. "He'll be asleep for several hours yet, and he really does need to rest," she stated. "Why don't you all go back to the Aoiya and one or two of you can visit tomorrow. I don't want to overtax Aoshi-san with visitors."  
  
"You also need to rest, Megumi," Kaoru spoke up. "We spent hours on that train and now you've been taking care of Aoshi-san as well."  
  
"Kaoru is right," Kenshin agreed.  
  
"It's okay," Megumi replied. "I should really stay here to keep a watch on Aoshi-san. I'm sure they can find a place for me to sleep tonight. Go back to the Aoiya." She smiled her sly fox grin at the whole group of worried friends. "Doctor's orders."  
  
There were one or two more protests, but soon everyone began to leave, except for Okina, who went in search of Dr. Inoue. Okun turned back to her before she followed Kuro out the door. "I'll have someone bring some food for you later, Megumi-san."  
  
"That would be deeply appreciated, Okun-san," Megumi said, bowing slightly. A moment later, the small waiting area was empty.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Megumi managed to find an unused bed in a room just across the hall from Aoshi's room. She checked his condition one last time and was grateful to see that he seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Before she retreated to the bed and the sleep she was desperately beginning to crave, she asked a nurse to wake her if Aoshi's condition changed or if he awakened. She then changed into the sleeping yukata that Kaoru had thoughtfully handed her along with another kimono and smock just before she left the hospital with Kenshin. She wasn't surprised that Kaoru had known she would remain at the hospital. She wrapped herself in the blankets and was asleep in moments.  
  
She felt like she had only been asleep a few minutes when she was awoken by the nurse.  
  
"Shinomori-san is awake, sensei," the young woman informed her. Megumi instantly rose, and ignoring the fact that she was only wearing a sleeping yukata and the disapproving glare of the nurse, rushed across the hall to Aoshi's room. Dr. Inoue was already there, trying to prevent Aoshi from rising from the bed. Aoshi's blue eyes glittered when he recognized her.  
  
"Who is this person, Takani-san?" Aoshi demanded, his voice a harsh rasp.  
  
"This is your other doctor, Inoue-sensei," Megumi replied dryly as she gently pressed his shoulders back against the bed. "You needed two of us to put you back together this time."  
  
Aoshi did not reply but ceased his struggling and cooperated. Megumi could tell that he was in a great deal of pain because he did not protest any further. She reached down to touch his forehead with two fingers and nodded in satisfaction. He did not have a fever, so the chance that he may have had an infection was slim.  
  
"I'm forever stitching you back together, Shinomori-san," she commented as she checked his pulse. "Why is that?"  
  
Aoshi narrowed his eyes in reply. Megumi was surprised by her own boldness as no doubt Aoshi was also, but he felt too weak to retort. Five years before she never would have dared to ask Aoshi Shinomori such a question.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"In Kyoto Hospital," Megumi replied. "Do you remember what happened?"  
  
Aoshi closed his eyes. "There was a man attacking a woman outside the temple gates. He had a gun." He moved his hand to touch the bandages covering his stomach. "I did not expect it." He opened his eyes, an anxious expression crossing his face. "Is Misao ok?"  
  
"Yes, she's fine. She'll come later to visit, if you feel up to it."  
  
Megumi was surprised. Aoshi must have changed somewhat since she had last seen him if he could now admit his mistakes. "Inoue-sensei and I removed the bullet yesterday afternoon. It damaged your liver, but we were able to repair it," she explained. "If you do not move around for the next day two days, I will permit you to walk around the following day. If you obey both Inoue-sensei and me, you can return to the Aoiya next week."  
  
Aoshi arched an eyebrow at her. "You will permit...?" he said, sarcasm saturating each word.  
  
"We are not in Tokyo any longer, Shinomori-san," she replied just as sarcastically. "You are in a hospital, where Inoue-sensei and I are in charge of your health." She grinned wickedly as she leaned down over him, hands on her hips. "You are not Okashira here." Aoshi's eyebrow rose once more but he did not say anything.  
  
Dr. Inoue's countenance was surprised at her use of the Oniwabanshuu term. He cleared his throat and spoke for the first time since she had come into the room. "Actually, Takani-sensei is correct, Shinomori-san. If you follow our advice, you will be able to go home next week," he stated. "If you move around too much now and overstrain yourself, you will only prolong your stay here."  
  
Aoshi glared at Megumi but his answer was for Dr. Inoue. "I will follow your advice, Inoue-sensei," he said expressionlessly.  
  
"Good," Megumi said. "You should sleep some more now before Misao and Okina come to visit. I or Inoue-sensei will check on you later." She blushed slightly, finally realizing she was only wearing a sleeping yukata. "If you will excuse me, Inoue-sensei," she murmured as she left the room and ran across the hall back to her room to get changed.
> 
> * * *
> 
> She was still grinning to herself when she emerged from her room a few minutes later now properly dressed. She had surprised herself in her reactions to Aoshi. She had never acted toward that way toward him in the past, had always been the submissive woman in his presence. She was also equally surprised by his reaction toward her sarcasm, by the fact that he had even let it slide by without replying. Perhaps they had both changed in the years since they had seen each other last, but then again Aoshi Shinomori was in a weakened state and may have not been up to the task of putting her back in her place.  
  
Dr. Inoue was waiting for her at the end of the hallway. He bowed slightly and smiled at her. "I did not realize that you knew Shinomori-san so well, Takani-sensei," he commented.  
  
"We've known each other for several years now," Megumi replied. "We met in Tokyo."  
  
The doctor glanced at her. "Oniwabanshuu?" he asked.  
  
Megumi shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably. He was being too curious. "I was their doctor some time ago," she supplied, her voice flat.  
  
He sensed her unease. "I'm sorry, Takani-sensei," he apologized. "I did not mean to pry. However, do you mind if I ask one more question? I promise not to ask about Shinomori-san again." After a moment, she nodded. "I was surprised that you chose to compliment my skills yesterday, after I had insulted you. I apologize for the insult, because I was obviously wrong, and I also thank you for the compliment, but I was wondering why."  
  
She smiled genuinely at him for the first time. "Because I have great respect for doctors who obviously know what they are doing and take proper care of their patients, Inoue-sensei," she said. "By not operating on Shinomori-san immediately, you showed me that you are capable of that. As for the insult, I am a woman doctor. I've gotten used to such reactions to my gender over the years."  
  
"And I have now learned that I should not think ill of women doctors ever again," Inoue said, bowing slightly to her. He smiled. "We have a small commissary here, Takani-sensei. I would be honored if you will join me for breakfast."  
  
"Thank you," she replied. "I will."
> 
> * * *
> 
> Megumi was surprised at the western influences she observed throughout the hospital that were also surrounded by traditional Japanese inspirations. They seemed to blend together seamlessly. The commissary that Inoue led her to was small and comfortable, filled with western-style chairs and tables and yet decorated with Japanese art.  
  
They were just sitting down at a table near an open window that was letting in a pleasant summer breeze when they were joined by an older man who was about 60 years old. He was slightly taller than Inoue, with a graying hair and the same brown eyes as the young male doctor. Inoue rose from his seat at his approach.  
  
"This is my father, Hideo Inoue," he said, introducing them to each other. "Father, this is Megumi Takani."  
  
Megumi stood up and bowed. "It is an honor, Inoue-sensei."  
  
"No, I'm not a doctor," he corrected her gently, indicating that they should sit back down. "I'm just one of the administrators of the hospital." He sat down next to his son. "So you are the famous Takani-sensei. Benjiro praised your physician's skills highly. My son is very impressed with you."  
  
"Father...," his son said, embarrassed.  
  
His father waved him to silence. "He also mentioned that you humbled him and taught him a lesson," the elder Inoue said. The younger Inoue rolled his eyes once in defeat and hung his head. "That's what I find impressive."  
  
Megumi's eyebrows shot up in surprise, at a loss as to what to say. The older man smiled at her discomfiture. "Would you be interested in teaching the other doctors here the same lesson, Takani-sensei?"  
  
"I...beg your pardon?" Megumi choked out.  
  
"Kyoto Hospital is always searching for good doctors for its staff, Takani- sensei," he replied. "And despite the fact that I'm embarrassing my poor son right now, I do know he knows a very good doctor when he sees one."  
  
"But...you don't even know me...."  
  
"You live in Tokyo? Do you work in your own clinic?"  
  
"No, I work as an assistant to Hikaru Takei."  
  
"Never heard of him," the older man stated. "I can offer you a position on our staff, Takani-sensei, one in which you could teach the residents."  
  
Megumi was becoming more shocked at every moment of this conversation, which she had no doubt was evident on her face. She turned to look at the younger Inoue, who was grinning at her. His father stood up. "Think about it, Takani-sensei. Come, Benjiro."  
  
The younger Inoue rose to follow his father when Megumi stopped him. "Inoue- san, I thought your father said he was 'just one of the administrators.' How can he offer me a position here just like that?"  
  
"Well, actually, Father owns the hospital, so he can pretty much do as he pleases, Takani-san," he explained. "He has never been adverse to new ideas, unlike his idiot son, and he has never been afraid to act on those ideas immediately. He thinks that having a woman doctor on our staff is a good idea, and after watching you work yesterday, I am inclined to agree with him."  
  
"So you asked him to do this?"  
  
"Well, actually, no," he replied, as he rubbed one finger along his jaw. "He probably only thought of it when I introduced you. If you will excuse me, Takani-sensei?" He walked out of the room, following the path his father had taken.  
  
Megumi stared at the cold tea in her cup, her startled expression reflected back at her. "And all I did was agree to come to breakfast," she muttered to herself.


	3. Chapter Three

> **Disclaimer:** I don't own Kenshin & Co; they belong to Watsuki-sensei and his pals. However, I sure do like playing with them!  
  
_White Rose, Black Rose_  
  
By Amberle-chan  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Later that morning Megumi went to check on Aoshi and to change his bandages. He did not say anything as she gently removed the old ones and replaced them with fresh ones after inspecting the wound in his abdomen, yet she could tell that he was still in pain by the way his eyes occasionally glazed over. There was a knock at the door as she replaced the last bandage, and a moment later, Misao stuck her head into the room.  
  
"May Okina and I come in, Megumi-san?" the young woman asked.  
  
Megumi looked down at her patient, who nodded, indicating that he was willing to see visitors. "Of course, Misao-chan," she said, smiling.  
  
Misao entered the room more sedately than she would have entered other rooms, obviously in deference to Aoshi's condition. Okina followed her a moment later. He bowed slightly to Megumi.  
  
"How is Aoshi doing today, Takani-san?" Okina asked.  
  
Megumi began to reply, but was interrupted by Aoshi's sharp rasp, "You could ask me yourself, old man."  
  
Okina smiled. "He's going to be just fine," he commented dryly.  
  
Misao went to stand by Aoshi's bedside. "Are you in a lot of pain, Aoshi- sama?"  
  
"No, I am fine, Misao," Aoshi replied, his eyes trying to reassure the young woman whom he had helped raise from childhood.  
  
"Liar."  
  
Misao whipped around to face Megumi, her wide eyes startled. Megumi frowned down at her patient, her arms folded across her chest. Aoshi narrowed his eyes at her in reply. "Your 'Aoshi-sama' is in a great deal of pain, Misao- chan, but he's too stubborn an idiot to admit it," she said flatly. "Given my past experience with him, I am not surprised." She walked over to the door. "I'll leave the three of you alone while I go to find something to relieve the pain he claims he's not in."
> 
> * * *
> 
> Aoshi showed continued improvement over the next two days, and as she promised, Megumi allowed him to get up and walk the hospital corridor on the third day. She accompanied him as he slowly made his way along the corridor.  
  
"I have not seen Inoue-sensei at all in the last two days, Megumi-san," Aoshi said after several minutes of silence as they walked.  
  
"He's probably very busy with other patients, and since you're the only patient I have at this hospital for now, it only makes sense that I take care of you myself," she explained. "I'm also pretty sure that his father keeps him hopping."  
  
Aoshi glanced at her, one eyebrow arched. "I'm the only patient you have for now?" he asked.  
  
Megumi sighed. She had not meant to reveal her decision to stay in Kyoto to any of her friends just yet. "I've been offered a position on the hospital staff," she said after a moment's silence. "It's a wonderful opportunity I cannot ignore. I've decided to take it."  
  
"And you do not want to tell the others yet?" he inquired. "Why?"  
  
Megumi frowned as she answered. "There's just too much going on right now. Between you and Misao and Soujiro's upcoming yui-no, my good news can wait. I don't want to take any focus off them."  
  
They turned and walked back down the hallway to Aoshi's room in silence. Aoshi stood in his doorway and looked down at her. Once again, as she gazed back up at him, she could not tell what he was feeling behind those cool eyes. "Congratulations on your new position, Megumi-san," he told her solemnly. "I will not tell anyone else until you tell the others."  
  
"Thank you, Aoshi-san," she replied. "I'll come back later to check on you again."
> 
> * * *
> 
> A week later, Aoshi was well enough to return to the Aoiya. Misao and Soujiro came with the carriage to take him back home. He still had some pain if he moved or twisted about too quickly, but it was lessening. He turned to Megumi before he climbed into the carriage and bowed slightly.  
  
"I want to thank you for your help, Takani-sensei," he said formally. "I am deeply grateful."  
  
She bowed back in acknowledgment. "You are welcome, Shinomori-san. I was happy that I was able to help, and that you are well." She began to turn away when he spoke again. "Are you not returning to the Aoiya with us?"  
  
"No," she answered. "There are some things I must attend to here. I'll be back this later this afternoon."  
  
Aoshi nodded and climbed into the carriage, and with a jaunty wave from Misao, it moved down the street.  
  
Benjiro Inoue approached her as she re-entered the hospital. "I thought you would be going back with Shinomori-san," the young doctor said.  
  
"No, not yet," Megumi replied. "I'll go back later. I wanted to speak with your father first."  
  
"Have you decided to take the position, then, Takani-sensei?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I have."  
  
"I'll take you to my father's office," he offered.  
  
A half-hour later, Hideo Inoue stood up from his chair and bowed to her. "Excellent, Takani-sensei. I'm so glad that you decided to become part of our staff. I sometimes think that our male doctors can be too harsh with their patients. When they see that a gentler approach is better, as is usual with women doctors, perhaps they will learn something."  
  
"I hope that I am able to teach them more than that, Inoue-san," Megumi said.  
  
"After what my son told me about your work, I'm sure you will." He clapped his hands together. "Now there is only the logistics to work out. Moving your things from Tokyo, finding a place to live here, and such."  
  
"I'm sure that my friends here in Kyoto can help with that," she informed him. "It should not be too much of a problem."  
  
"Good, then. You can start officially by the beginning of next week, then?"  
  
"Hai." And with that one word of acceptance, Megumi finally knew she was ready to put the painful memories of Aizu behind her.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Misao's and Soujiro's yui-no took place three days later in the Aoiya's gardens. Omasu, Okun, and Kaoru spent the day before weeding and making sure that each flower was perfect while Kenshin, Kuro, and Shiro brought out low tables and benches, arranging them around the garden beneath the trees. Yahiko was enlisted as an errand boy, and spent the day running back and forth between the Aoiya and Kyoto's market district. Megumi remained inside the house, looking after Kenji when Kaoru needed help and helping to prepare some special dishes for the party. She also wanted to stay close to Aoshi just in case he needed her medical expertise. Surprisingly, he listened to her advice and rested. He seemed to content to sit on the porch and watch the activity quietly or just meditate in his room.  
  
Megumi wanted to check on Aoshi before retiring to her own room that night, but instead of finding him in his room, she found him sitting on the porch, staring at the fireflies that were dancing among the flowers. She sat down next to him in companionable silence for several moments before she spoke.  
  
"This is quite a change for you, isn't it, Aoshi-san?" she asked quietly.  
  
He did not reply for several seconds and then nodded. "Hai, it is," he answered, "but I'm very happy for Misao. Soujiro is very good to her."  
  
"Is it hard?"  
  
He tilted his head downward so that his long black bangs hid his eyes. "In some ways. Misao has become a woman, and now I must let go of the child I helped raise."  
  
"But you'll always be her Aoshi-sama."  
  
She saw a small smile play across his face. "Yes, I know, but it's so much better this way now. I would never have been able to love her the way she once wanted me to." He turned to her, his blues eyes considering her carefully. "You have your own changes to deal with, Megumi-san."  
  
"Yes, but I'm ready to make them," she said. "Things were not working out in Aizu as I had hoped. I can start over here. It's all due to you." One black eyebrow arched upward. "If you had never gotten shot, I would never have been offered a position at the hospital."  
  
He stood up and looked down at her, an expression of amusement flitting across his face. "I am happy to be of service, Megumi-san," he replied, no trace of sarcasm in his voice. "Good night."  
  
"Good night, Aoshi-san."
> 
> * * *
> 
> As dusk descended the next day, many friends gathered together in the Aoiya's gardens to witness the yui-no of Misao and Soujiro. It was a simple and beautiful ceremony, and after they exchanged their gifts, the celebration lasted long into the night. Aoshi maintained his usual quiet, calm attitude throughout the evening, barely speaking at all, except for a toast, giving the couple his blessing. After he took his one sip of sake in honor of the toast, he wished everyone a good night and retired for the night.  
  
Megumi, even though she was slightly tipsy, watched him leave the party with anxious eyes. He seemed to have recovered a great deal from his wound, yet to her, he had been a bit more quiet than usual. It could have been that he was tired, but after their conversation of the night before, she thought she sensed an underlying sadness in his demeanor.  
  
As the party wound down, she excused herself and went back into main house. She had intended to go straight back to her room, but found herself standing outside of Aoshi's doorway. Telling herself that she was only checking on him as his doctor, she slid the door open a crack.  
  
Aoshi was deeply asleep, his breathing deep and even, his face turned partially to the open window. A drop of moonlight spilled into the room, letting her see his features clearly. She had watched him sleep many times in the hospital, yet on this night, his face was more relaxed than she had ever seen it, his facial features even more handsome. As she stood there, watching his chest rise deeply with each breath, she remembered something her mother had once said, "A person's true face can only be seen in sleep, Meg-chan. If you truly want to know how good a person's heart is, watch them sleep." As Megumi stood there in the doorway, she knew that, despite his past and his brief sojourn into a madness caused by intense grief, she was looking at a good man. She slid the door closed.  
  
Aoshi did not open his eyes until Megumi's soft footfalls retreated down the hallway. He had felt her there, even before she had opened the door. He stared at the closed door, wondering what she had seen.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Kaoru and Kenshin were the only ones in the kitchen when she came down to breakfast the next morning. It seemed that everyone else had decided to sleep just a little later than usual. Kenji was sitting in Kaoru's lap as Kenshin fed his son some rice. She smiled at her friends as she sat down and poured herself some tea. Yahiko arrived a minute later, yawning mightily.  
  
"Mornin'," the young teenager drawled as he plopped down next to Kenshin. Placing his elbow on the table, he leaned his head on his hand and yawned again. "That was some party last night."  
  
"Do you need a headache remedy, Yahiko?" Megumi asked sweetly.  
  
He smirked at her. "No, I don't need a headache remedy, Megumi," he replied sarcastically.  
  
Megumi chuckled as she sipped her tea. She had seen how much sake the boy had drunk the night before. She had no doubt his head was pounding. She'd give him something for it later when he didn't have to admit he was hurting in front of others.  
  
"Make sure that you pack your things today, Yahiko," Kaoru instructed her apprentice. "We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning and you won't have time to do it then."  
  
"Oh, give it a rest, busu," Yahiko growled. "Can I at least have breakfast first?"  
  
"Yahiko," Kenshin said in a slight warning tone, trying to stop a fight before it began.  
  
Megumi smiled and knew that it was time to reveal her good news to her friends. She would miss this, the bantering and the teasing that was laced underneath with love, but she also recognized that it was time she moved on with her life.  
  
"I'm not going back to Tokyo," she announced as she put down her tea cup.  
  
"What?" Yahiko and Kaoru cried together, and Kenshin's face became confused as he muttered, "Oro?"  
  
"I've been offered a teaching position at Kyoto Hospital," Megumi informed them. "I've decided to take it."  
  
Kaoru dropped Kenji into Kenshin's lap and ran around the table to give her a hug. "That's wonderful, Megumi!"  
  
"Congratulations, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said with a smile.  
  
"Way to go, Megumi!" Yahiko exclaimed. "Are you going to stay here at the Aoiya?"  
  
"Only until I can find a small house here in Kyoto to rent, Yahiko," she replied. "I don't want to overstay my welcome here."  
  
"You will always be welcome here, Megumi-san," a voice said quietly behind them. They all turned around to see Aoshi leaning against the kitchen doorway.  
  
Megumi almost blushed at the sincerity she heard in his voice. "Thank you, Aoshi-san," she replied, bowing her head in acknowledgment. "However, I really should be closer to the hospital."  
  
"I may be able to help you with that," Aoshi stated. "A business associate of mine has a house to rent that is not far from the hospital. I've already spoken to him. If the house meets with your approval, you can have it."  
  
"Aoshi-san...," Megumi began to say, her face a mixture of bewilderment and gratefulness.  
  
"You sound as if you knew Megumi-dono was planning to stay here in Kyoto already, Aoshi-san," Kenshin commented.  
  
"I wanted to keep it a secret until after the yui-no, but I accidentally let the news slip to Aoshi-san when he was in the hospital," Megumi explained.  
  
"I vowed to keep her secret," Aoshi's voice was solemn as he spoke, but when Megumi she looked up, she couldn't help noticing the warmth in his eyes. "Even though she had every right to share her good news sooner than she did."  
  
The blush Megumi had been attempting to subdue lightly tinged her cheeks. She let her head fall so that her hair would hide her face. She stood up suddenly, walked over to one of the cupboards, and flung open the door. "Isn't anyone hungry?" she asked, trying to hide her sudden disturbed emotions. "I'll make breakfast."  
  
As she began to pull out various items out of the cupboard, she never noticed the steady gaze of Aoshi's eyes upon her nor the considering glances Kenshin gave them both.
> 
> * * *
> 
> The next morning was very busy as everyone on the Aoiya staff awoke early to wish the Himuras and Yahiko goodbye. Both Megumi and Aoshi accompanied them to the train station.  
  
"We're going to miss you so much!" Kaoru exclaimed as she gave Megumi a farewell hug. "But we'll visit each other soon, I know."  
  
"Don't worry about your things, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said, as Megumi turned to tickle Kenji, who was in his father's arms. "We'll send them as soon as you're settled."  
  
"Thank you, Ken-san," Megumi replied, smiling. "I'm going to miss you all." She turned to Yahiko, who was standing next to Kenshin, and giving into one of her teasing impulses, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. When she stepped back, Yahiko's face was very red. "Bye, Megumi," he muttered.  
  
While she was occupied with Yahiko, Kenshin handed Kenji to Kaoru and bowed to Aoshi. "I know you will take care of Megumi-dono, Aoshi-san," Kenshin said quietly as he straightened.  
  
Aoshi's face was solemn as he bowed in return. "Of course, Himura-san."  
  
Minutes later, the train back to Tokyo was gone and Megumi was on her way back to the Aoiya with Aoshi. She knew she should have felt more saddened by her friends' departure, but she hardly felt depressed at all. She was eager to discover the possibilities of Kyoto.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** Watsuki-sensei and Co. own the Kenshin-gumi, but I like playing with them so much I can't help myself...  
  
**Author's Notes:** I want to thank Chisaiilammy, Trupana, Eriesalia, Larissa Hyuga, Shimizu Hitomi, Mij, and Constance L. for their great reviews! Thanks for welcoming me so warmly into the circle of Aoshi & Megumi 'shippers!

_White Rose, Black Rose_

by Amberle-chan

Chapter 4  
  
Megumi awoke the following Monday morning excited and nervous. While she had worked in clinics in both Aizu and Tokyo and occasionally attended patients in hospitals, she had never worked on a hospital staff, much less teach anyone else. She had hardly slept the night before, sudden doubts shifting through her mind. What if she wasn't up to the task despite everyone's faith in her?  
  
Okina and the others noticed her nervousness when she joined them for breakfast. Okina tried to distract her with his usual outrageous flirtatious manner, but she was so anxious, she wasn't even capable of rebuffing him properly. She hastily ate her breakfast, made her excuses, and headed outside to walk around the gardens by herself for a few minutes before she went to the hospital. Aoshi found her standing next to one of the rose bushes, her medicine box clutched tightly to her chest, lost in thought.  
  
"Don't overstep your bounds," he said softly as he stepped up behind her, bringing her out of her reverie.  
  
"Aoshi-san?" Megumi asked as she turned to him with puzzled eyes.  
  
"Teach your students all that you know," Aoshi continued, "but if there is something you do not know, admit it to them, and then be willing to learn it together with them."  
  
Megumi glanced up at his face, but he was not looking at her; his eyes were distant, gazing into memory. It was then that she realized that Aoshi was imparting some of his own experience to her. As the very young Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu and Guard Captain of Edo Castle, he had had to lead as well as learn the very formidable skills he now possessed. At some point in time, he had to admit his lack of knowledge to someone who respected him enough to teach him but who was still willing to acknowledge him as "Okashira."  
  
Megumi smiled and found herself a little less daunted by what lay ahead. This was advice she could follow. "Thank you, Aoshi-san," she said seriously. "You're a very wise man."  
  
Two dark eyebrows rose in surprise at the compliment, but she was already gone.

* * *

It was another week before Aoshi mentioned the house again. At first Megumi thought he would take her to see it right away, but as the days went on, it was not spoken of again, and Megumi began to wonder why. Not that she was not enjoying her time at the Aoiya; when she returned each night from the hospital, the company was extremely enjoyable, and even the usually taciturn Aoshi proved himself to be capable of a good conversation or two. It was not until the end of the week, after several conversations with Aoshi, that she realized that he actually missed Misao, who had gone off with Soujiro after the yui-no to meet his remaining family members. She was surprised to discover that Aoshi, who had always seemed so aloof, also wanted companionship once in awhile, and in Misao's absence, it was hers he sought out.  
  
Yet, as the week ended, she knew it was time for her to leave and be on her own once more.  
  
Megumi found Aoshi sitting on the porch, his back against the wall, his eyes closed. She thought he was meditating and turned to go, when he spoke. "You have a question, Megumi-san?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Aoshi-san," Megumi said. "I did not mean to disturb your meditation."  
  
He opened his eyes and regarded her calmly. "You are not disturbing me. Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Wrong? No. I was just wondering about that house you mentioned. I have been enjoying myself here, but I really think I should settle down in my own home now."  
  
He stood up, his blue eyes regarding her calmly. "I'm sorry I did not mention it sooner. It was just being repaired and refurbished. We can go see it tomorrow, if you like."  
  
Thus, Megumi found herself walking through a small empty house the next morning while Aoshi waited for her outside. It only had four rooms: a large- sized common room, a small bedroom and kitchen, and one other room that was lined with shelves, enough shelves that Megumi could keep all of her books and bottles and jars of herbs and ointments in one place. She was delighted to find a small plot of land in the back where she could grow a garden. After giving each room a thorough inspection, she returned to the small porch where Aoshi was waiting.  
  
"It's a perfect little house, Aoshi-san," she said, smiling. "It's exactly what I need. Will you please let your business associate know that I would like to rent it from him?"  
  
"Hai, Megumi-san," Aoshi replied.  
  
"I'll write to the Himuras today to let them know they can send my things. Perhaps I'll send to Aizu for some of other things as well. I think I'll be very comfortable here."  
  
Within another week, Megumi moved into the little house and began to settle in as one of the newest resident of Kyoto.

* * *

Her days were spent at the hospital, taking care of patients and teaching her students. At first there was a great deal of resistance among the hospital staff that a woman doctor had been brought in to be among them, but there was even more resistance to her teaching others. Her first few weeks there were very difficult, but she was determined to succeed. She knew of at least several doctors who had gone to Hideo Inoue to demand her immediate dismissal, but each time the hospital administrator would vehemently deny the request and advise the doctor to get used to the idea. As the days and weeks went on, and the other doctors were able to observe her skills and compassion, she gained a grudging respect from most of them.  
  
The students she was assigned to teach were an entirely different matter. At first all of the young male residents found the idea of a woman teaching them a very novel idea, and treated her as such, with a great deal of snickering behind her back. It wasn't until she had thoroughly and cleverly humiliated several of them about their lack of knowledge that their attitude began to change. Soon every morning she found herself trailed around the hospital by students who were enthusiastic to learn from her. She was also aware that some of them followed her so eagerly because she was a beautiful woman, but she used that to her advantage as well. There were one or two who were a little too eager to be around her even her after classes were over, but she easily rebuffed them and moved on.  
  
She would often return to the small house late into the evening, exhausted but satisfied with her work. When time and energy allowed, she worked on the garden she had begun to grow or read from the medical textbooks she had recently bought. She tried to visit her friends at the Aoiya at least once per week, and even when she was not there, she found herself being accompanied by them on her various outings. She found herself even regarding Aoshi Shinomori, a man whom she had once wholeheartedly despised, as a friend. Kyoto had become home.  
  
It was three months after she had moved into her small house, that she was stopped by the receptionist at the main entrance of the hospital just as she arrived for the day. The small woman did not say anything to her, but just bowed as she handed Megumi a long, thin box.  
  
Megumi did not open the box until she reached her office. However, when she finally did open it, she let out a gasp. Inside the box was a perfectly formed rose. A black rose. She lifted its delicate petals to her face and inhaled. It smelled wonderful. She then ran her hands over the petals, wondering if the rose had been dyed. No ink stained her fingers as she pulled them away. She stared at the rose in wonder. She had never seen a black rose before, and couldn't help thinking about how difficult it would have been to grow such a rose. She looked inside the box, but there was no note.  
  
Benjiro Inoue entered her office just as she was placing the rose in a vase on her desk. "That's a very unusual color for a rose, Megumi-san," he commented as he handed her some papers.  
  
She looked at him shyly. "You...didn't...perhaps?" she stammered. Benjiro had become one of her closest friends and staunchest supporters since she had begun to work at the hospital, and on occasion she felt that he was attracted to her. She had, as she had done with so many other perspective suitors, gently rebuffed his occasional flirtations.  
  
He shook his head. "No, I didn't," he answered, "and even if I did, Megumi- san, you can be sure that I would never send you such an ugly colored rose. Red roses are definitely better for you." He grinned at her.  
  
"Benjiro-san," Megumi said, a light warning in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I know," he said as he turned to leave. "Back to work."  
  
When she arrived at work three days later, there was a second black rose sitting in the vase on her desk next to the first rose, which was wilting. She stopped in surprise as she opened the door when she saw the rose. She had locked her office door the night before and had now just unlocked it. How had anyone gotten in to leave a second rose? And who was leaving her roses in the first place? And why black roses? She loved roses, she had made no secret of that fact, but black was such an unusual color. Once again, there was no note.  
  
It wasn't until the third rose appeared six days later that Megumi began to become concerned that the strange black roses were something more than gifts from a secret admirer.  
  
For once, she left the hospital just before sunset and arrived at her house just as twilight was beginning to descend. She made her way home quickly, wanting to change her kimono and smock before heading over to the Aoiya for her weekly visit. Aoshi had begun teaching her how to play chess several weeks before, and now she was looking forward to a quiet evening in his company, because after a day of several emergencies, loud, bothersome patients, and thick-headed students, she found herself in need of a calm presence, and if anyone could be calm, it was Aoshi Shinomori.  
  
She noticed the dagger buried in her door first. The black hilt reflected back the last of the sunlight that was flooding down her street, and so she spotted it from several feet away. It was not until she stood before her doorway that she saw that the dagger had been plunged through the heart of another black rose, pinning it to her door. Her eyes wide in shock, she reached up with trembling fingers and pulled the dagger out of the door. The broken rose fell into her other hand. Megumi now knew something was wrong, that someone was perhaps threatening her. Aoshi and the Aoiya could wait. She needed to speak to the police first.

* * *

Megumi did not even bother to change or even enter her house. She placed the dagger and the rose into her bag and made her way to the police department. Once there, she asked to speak to the officer in charge and was shown into his office, a man named Cho, a man she had only met once, when she had come to Kyoto to take care of Kenshin.  
  
"I'm not sure you remember me. I'm Megumi Takani. We've only met once, about five years ago," she introduced herself as she sat down. "I'm friends with Kenshin Himura and Aoshi Shinomori."  
  
"Ah, yes," he said. "How can I help you, Takani-san?"  
  
She took out the dagger and the rose. "I've received a couple of roses in the last few weeks, but there was never any note indicating who they were from," she explained. "Then, this evening, I found another. It was pinned to the door of my house with that dagger."  
  
Cho took the rose and dagger from her and placed them on his desk in front of him. "Were the other roses black, too?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hmmm. Have you had any fights with lovers? No? Then I wouldn't worry it about too much, Takani-san. It's probably just a secret admirer with an odd sense of humor who happens to be color-blind."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Even if I found this strange, Takani-san, and I don't really, there would be nothing I could do about it. If I'm not worried, why should you be?" He handed her back the dagger and the rose and escorted her to the door.

* * *

Three days later, the fourth black rose appeared. She found it in lying on her desk in her office, folded in a note written on expensive paper. None of the other roses had had a note with them. Each pen stroke of the two lines of the note was straight and precise, but she did not recognize the handwriting. She stood there, her back to the open door, hand pressed against her mouth in horror as she read the note, the rose falling to the floor.  
  
"Megumi-san?"  
  
Megumi shrieked and dropped the note. She whirled to find Aoshi standing just inside her doorway. She was shaking violently.  
  
"I apologize," Aoshi said as bent down to retrieve the note from the floor. "I did not mean to startle you." He then spotted the fallen rose and also picked it up. He stood up and his eyes widened when he noticed the color of the rose and then the pale, trembling woman standing before him. His eyes fell to the note and his eyes widened even further as he read it:  
  
_ One more black rose for a dead, beautiful woman.  
  
When the petals wither and die on the twelfth, so shall you._  
  
"Megumi-san, when did you get this note?" Aoshi asked, his voice low with barely controlled fury.  
  
She did not reply but wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stop her shivering. She stared at Aoshi, unseeing, wondering why this was happening to her. Why would anyone threaten her like this? She hadn't been in Kyoto long enough to get to know anyone besides her friends at the Aoiya. A sudden thought flared through her mind. Did one of the doctors who didn't like the fact that she was working here send her the note? She had met opposition to the fact that she was a woman doctor before, but no one had ever threatened her with death. No, it wasn't possible. Doctors swore an oath to do no harm. She didn't believe any doctor was capable of this. Still, she was frightened.  
  
Aoshi realized how violently she was shaking. He put one arm around her shoulders and led her over to the chair behind her desk. She let him press her down into the seat, arms still folded tightly about herself. Aoshi stooped down beside her and placed one hand on her wrist. Her head hung low, her hair enfolding her face in shadows.  
  
"Megumi-san, when did you get this note?" he asked again, his voice a whisper.  
  
She took a deep breath before she answered. "I...found it on the desk just before you arrived."  
  
"It says 'one more black rose'," Aoshi said. "Have you received other roses?" When she did not answer immediately, he tilted her chin up with one finger. "Megumi, have you gotten other roses like this one?"  
  
She stared into his cool blue eyes, nodded once, and let her head fall again. "The first one was left for me at the receptionist's desk almost two weeks ago, but there was no note," she replied, her voice a trembling whisper. "There was another one last week. I found it here in my office, even though I had locked the door. At first I thought it was just some secret admirer who liked black roses, but then I found a third pinned to the door of my house with this." She reached into the desk drawer and pulled out the small, black dagger that had been buried in her door and handed it to him. "That was three days ago. Today was the first time there's ever been a note with any of them."  
  
Aoshi stood up to examine the small dagger in the better light provided by her office window. It was unremarkable, something that anyone could practically buy anywhere. He then looked at the note once more, running his fingers across the textured paper.  
  
Megumi watched him through lowered eyelashes as he first examined the dagger and then the paper. She attempted to put on a brave face and explain it away. "I wouldn't worry it about too much, Aoshi," she said. "It's probably just a stupid prank by one of my students."  
  
He turned and looked down at her. Her head was hanging down low once more, her facial features hidden by her long dark hair. Her hands were wrapped together tightly in her lap as she unconciouslessly rocked back and forth. He knew instantly that she was lying, trying to pretend that everything was fine. However, Aoshi knew fear; he had seen it too many times on the faces of others. He could see that although Megumi was unwilling to admit it, she was terrified.  
  
"This note is not a joke, nor is the dagger," Aoshi said, his voice grim. She did not answer but continued to stare down at her clasped hands. "Megumi-san, look at me," he ordered gently. She raised her head, her eyes wide and frightened. "I won't let anything happen to you." His voice was calm as he spoke, but yet there was a hint of fierceness behind it.  
  
She stared into his icy blue eyes and found reassurance there. She took a deep breath to steady herself and unclasped her fingers. He waited silently while she gathered her composure once more.  
  
"I think I should let Cho look at these," Aoshi said, referring to the three items grasped in his hands.  
  
Megumi took another deep breath. Her voice was steadier when she spoke. "I've already been to Cho," she explained. "I went to see him after I found the third rose. He said he had better things to do than to listen to hysterical women who were receiving odd-colored roses."  
  
"I will speak to Cho," Aoshi said, as he strode over to the open door. The tone of his voice implied that the police officer would not have any choice but to listen to him. "When do you leave today?"  
  
"I have several more patients I have to see this afternoon," she answered. "I won't be done until a little before sunset."  
  
"I will be back later to escort you home."  
  
"Aoshi-san...," she began to protest.  
  
"I will be back later to escort you home, Megumi-san," he repeated flatly, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Whoever this is knows you love roses and also knows where you live. I have no doubt that they have followed there. You will wait here until I return."  
  
Megumi nodded silently in agreement, her expression once again frightened as he turned and left. If Aoshi Shinomori was that concerned for her safety, she had good reason to be afraid. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** Watsuki-sensei owns the Kenshin-gumi. I'm just playing with them...  
  
**AN**: Please don't forget to review! I love reviews! However, any flames will be used to help keep my hair its lovely red color...  
  
_White Rose, Black Rose_  
  
By Amberle-chan  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Several days later, Megumi once again walked home with Aoshi Shinomori in the early twilight. After days of being tense and anxious, she finally found herself relaxing. There had been no more roses and no more notes since Aoshi had started to escort her home on a nightly basis. She began to think that whomever had threatened her had been scared off by the constant presence of the tall, handsome Onmitsu at her side.  
  
As she had done on every night since they had begun their nightly trek back to her house, Megumi invited Aoshi in for tea when they reached the front porch of the house. She was a bit surprised at how disappointed she felt when he refused the invitation for the first time.  
  
He regarded her with cool eyes. "Unfortunately, I cannot tonight," he said. "There is a group of foreign business men at the Aoiya that I must meet with tonight. However, I will be glad to have tea with you tomorrow night."  
  
She bowed and smiled at him. "Have a pleasant evening then, Aoshi-san," she replied, "and, once again, thank you."  
  
"You are welcome. Good night, Megumi-san," he said as he turned and began to walk down the street back toward the Aoiya.  
  
Megumi watched him walk away for a few moments before she stepped into her house. She closed the door behind her and bent down slightly to light the lamp she kept on a table near the doorway. She turned away from the lamp to face her main living area.  
  
She screamed.  
  
Aoshi was barely a hundred yards away when he heard Megumi's scream rent the night air. In an instant, he whirled and ran back toward her house, his long strides covering the distance in mere seconds. Megumi stumbled out of the house and into his arms, sobbing hysterically.  
  
He could see by the light of the single dim lamp that the front room of the home was in complete disarray; the thin rice paper walls had been torn and her few pieces of art shredded and sliced by a dagger or knife. Every single bottle, piece of ceramic, and glass had been smashed to the floor, except for one. A single glass vase stood on a table near the back wall in which three black roses had been neatly arranged. On the wall, in glistening black ink, were written the words:  
  
_Three more black roses for a lovely, dead woman  
  
Soon the fox will sleep forever..._  
  
Kuro and Okun appeared at his side, their eyes widening as they took in the scene.  
  
"Okashira, you must believe us, we never saw anyone!" Kuro exclaimed as Okun nodded vigorously in agreement.  
  
Aoshi narrowed his eyes at them and nodded, knowing that neither of them would lie about such a thing. He tightened his arms around Megumi, who was still crying in gasping sobs against his chest. "Kuro, go back to the Aoiya and bring the carriage," he commanded. Kuro turned and ran down the street. "Okun, go into Takani-san's room and gather some of her clothing together. Do not touch anything else." The young woman entered the house, gingerly stepping over the items strewn about the floor.  
  
Aoshi guided Megumi over to the porch where they sat down. She clung to him, his arms wrapped around her. One hand brushed through her hair as he whispered softly, "It's alright, Megumi. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." She pressed herself against his chest and he instinctively tightened his hold on her.  
  
He did not speak again as he waited for her tears and sobs to lessen. Yet, even as he held her, his eyes scanned the area around the house, trying to pierce the shadows, searching for anything unusual. He had no doubt that they were being observed. Whoever had entered Megumi's house was very good at hiding if they could have gotten past the watchful eyes of both Kuro and Okun.  
  
"Aoshi...?" Megumi's voice was a soft murmur against his chest. He looked down at her; she had raised her head to look up at him. Her eyes were still glistening, but she had stopped crying. He brushed one tear-stained cheek with his finger. "It's not safe here, Megumi," he said gently. "I've sent Kuro for the carriage. We'll go back to the Aoiya. I can protect you better there."  
  
Megumi nodded wordlessly and Aoshi loosened his hold on her a little as she scrubbed her eyes with the back of one hand.  
  
"Aoshi-san." He turned to see that Okun had returned to the porch. She was not carrying any clothing. "All of Takani-san's clothing has been ripped and torn," the young woman explained in a whisper. Megumi did not give any sign that she had heard Okun speaking.  
  
He nodded in acknowledgment and went back to watching the night. The person stalking Megumi was beyond vicious. Not only did he want to kill her, but he also wanted to obliterate everything that meant anything to her before he could carry out his threat.  
  
Megumi and Aoshi continued to sit quietly together on the porch while Okun stepped back into the house to check the other rooms. Aoshi was beginning to be concerned by Megumi's silence, but decided to leave the matter alone for the present. Megumi sat with her head down, her face hidden by her hair, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she leaned against Aoshi's side, one of his arms wrapped loosely about her waist. Okun reappeared a few moments later. When Aoshi turned to look at her, she shook her head. He mouthed the word, "Everything?" Okun's head bobbed down once in reply. His assessment had been correct. This madman wanted to destroy Megumi completely.  
  
Kuro arrived with the carriage several minutes later accompanied by Shiro. After telling both Okun and Shiro to remain at the house, Aoshi helped the still unsteady Megumi into the carriage. "Go quickly, Kuro," he ordered curtly as he climbed in after her. He did not want to give anyone a chance to follow them.  
  
Aoshi did not say anything when she leaned her head against his shoulder as the carriage bounced noisily down the street. He placed an arm around her shoulders. It seemed that he worked to protect this woman as often as she mended his wounds. Even when he had been her captor when he worked for Kanryu Takeda, he had protected her, from Kanryu and the other bodyguards who had not been Oniwabanshuu. The Oniwabanshuu had known better than to make perverted advances upon an innocent woman who had had no choice in the destiny forced upon her, and it was that protection of Megumi Takani that had allowed them to keep some shred of their honor. Aoshi pondered about why he still felt such a need to protect Megumi for a moment and then pushed the thought aside to meditate upon another time. There were more important matters at hand. He needed to focus on finding the person who was stalking Megumi Takani.  
  
She was laying limp against him, asleep, when the carriage arrived at the Aoiya. Kuro pulled it around to the back of the compound where they were greeted by a furious Okina.  
  
"Just where the hell have you been, Aoshi?" the older man demanded as Kuro jumped down to open the carriage door. "Those men in the common room have been waiting... ." He halted his tirade as Aoshi emerged from the carriage, Megumi cradled in his arms. "Megumi-san! What happened?"  
  
"You'll have to make my excuses, Okina," Aoshi said flatly. "After I get Megumi-san settled into a room, I'm going straight to Cho."  
  
Misao appeared at the back door. "Megumi-san!" she cried, rushing over to them.  
  
"I'll explain later," Aoshi said. "Go to Omasu and borrow one of her sleeping yukatas, Misao. Bring it to the upper guest room in the back."  
  
Misao's eyes were wide with curiosity but she obeyed, scampering instantly back into main building of the Aoiya. Megumi stirred in his arms, awakening.  
  
"You can put me down, Aoshi," she said faintly. "I can walk."  
  
He ignored her and proceeded to carry her up the stairs to the upper story. Megumi sighed, her breath coming out in a big huff, but she did not protest further. Aoshi's lips turned upwards slightly in amusement. She was regaining her composure. It was only when he reached the guest quarters that he put her down in front of the one of the closed doors.  
  
She stared up at him as he let go of her. Aoshi's blue eyes regarded her calmly, and he was pleased to see that her eyes were now clear and absent of tears.  
  
"Thank you, Aoshi," Megumi said, her voice a mere whisper as she continued to study his face. She paused. "I don't know what else to say...it does not seem enough..."  
  
"I am glad that you are alright, Megumi-san," Aoshi replied, as his fingers brushed some stray hair from her face. "Misao will be here to help you in a few minutes. I'm going to see Cho now. Perhaps he can help find out who broke into your house. You should rest now. I'll speak to you in the morning."  
  
She nodded, opened the door and stepped into the room without another word, closing the door behind her. Aoshi stood by the closed door for just a moment before he turned to go back down the stairs. He realized that the words he had spoken to Megumi were true, that he was truly happy and very relieved that nothing had happened to her... .

* * *

"This is the second time you've come to me about Takani-san, Shinomori," Cho commented as he sat behind his desk at the Kyoto police station. "What is she to you?"  
  
"That is none of your concern," Aoshi replied coldly. "What is your concern is the fact that her house was broken into tonight. There was another death threat written on the wall."  
  
Cho's eyebrow lifted as he stood up and strapped his sword belt around his waist. "Another one?"  
  
"She is being hunted." Aoshi stated. "I want to find out why and by whom."  
  
"So the great Oniwabanshuu Okashira came to me for help," Cho said sarcastically.  
  
"A good leader knows when to use his resources, Cho," Aoshi said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You are a resource, nothing more. However, if you choose not to be, perhaps I should speak to Saitoh."  
  
Cho raised his hands in defeat. "No, I'll help. Let me get another couple of officers and we'll go to the house now. You have your people there watching the place now, I suppose?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Why do I even bother asking?" Cho muttered under his breath.  
  
Three hours later, after a thorough search of the house by the police officers, Cho joined Aoshi on the porch. The tall dark-haired man was leaning against a post, facing toward the open doorway, his arms folded, his face expressionless.  
  
"Well?" he asked.  
  
"I'll agree that someone has definitely broken in," Cho said, "and that someone is threatening her. Everything in the house has been smashed, ripped or shredded to pieces, but there doesn't seem to be a clue anywhere as to who did it."  
  
Aoshi raised himself off the post. "Perhaps there is," he said as he stepped into the house and approached the wall on which the threatening message had been written. The black ink had long since dried. He pointed to one of the words. "He uses the word 'fox' here. Only those closest to Takani-san know that to be her nickname. She picked it up in Tokyo, and she hasn't been living in Kyoto long enough for anyone else but those at the Aoiya to know about it. It's also a nickname she's not particularly fond of, so I doubt she would have told anyone living here about it."  
  
Cho rubbed at his chin thoughtfully with one hand. "It could be that someone from Tokyo discovered she was here and followed her." He paused for a moment and then shook his head dismissively. "No, that doesn't track, either. He could have just as easily tried this there."  
  
"Not if he is as smart as I think he is," Aoshi stated. "She had been living at the Kamiya dojo for a couple of months before she decided to move to Kyoto."  
  
"Where she would have been protected by Battousai," Cho completed the thought. "And we both know what he's like when he's protecting someone."  
  
"Which means this person is clever as well as careful," Aoshi mused, his head turned downward, his black bangs shadowing his eyes as he thought over the situation. "If he followed her from Tokyo, he waited until there was no such protection evident. That has changed, of course. She'll remain at the Aoiya until this person is found."  
  
"There's also her past, Shinomori," Cho commented.  
  
Aoshi raised his eyes to stare at the message on the wall again. "Yes, I have considered that as well. There weren't that many people who died from the opium Kanryu forced her to make, but there were a few. Perhaps it is a relative living in here in Kyoto who found out she was here and is now exacting revenge." He sighed and turned back to Cho. "However, we are both just speculating. There is nothing more I can do here right now. I must return to the Aoiya." He walked toward the door.  
  
"I'll leave an officer here just in case someone returns," Cho said. "I think I should also put some officers around the Aoiya." Aoshi turned back to him, one eyebrow raised. "I know, I know, your own people are more than sufficient to take care of things, but humor me, okay?" He waved his hands around the room. "This is a madman's work, and they have a tendency not to care how many people they hurt in order to get what they want."  
  
Aoshi smirked but then nodded in agreement as he strode out into the night.

* * *

Megumi's thoughts were full of Aoshi Shinomori when she awoke the following morning. She knew that she should be thinking about her situation, about the menacing messages, trying to figure out who was threatening her, but she could not focus on them. Her mind was too distracted by the memory of his touch, the way he had held her so tightly to him, the reassuring words he had spoken warm against her skin. No man had ever held her like that before, and she was surprised how safe she had felt in his arms. However, given their shared shadowy history, she had never imagined she would ever have been held so comfortingly by Aoshi. She had always thought Aoshi to be a cold man whose heart was ice, but after spending the last several days in his company and after his reaction to what had happened the night before, she was beginning to realize that he did care, he did have emotions, but that he chose to keep those emotions tightly leashed.  
  
She rose from the futon, straightening the sleeping yukata that Omasu had lent her. Both Omasu and Misao had been so worried about her the night before. A few moments after Misao knocked on the door to give her the yukata, Omasu arrived with tea, for which she was grateful. She knew that they were both curious as to what had happened, so she told them as they listened in rapt attention, knowing deep within herself that talking about the situation would only help her more. Even Okina had peeked in once to check on her, his usual flirtatious manner lost in his concern for her safety.  
  
Megumi went to the bath house, and after finding it empty, she stoked the furnace and immersed herself in steaming water for many long minutes. After drying herself off, she slipped the yukata back on and went back to her room where she found a yellow kimono embroidered with pink and purple flowers folded neatly on the futon. She put it on gratefully and went in search of Omasu to thank her. She would return the kimono once she could return to her house and get her own things.  
  
She headed straight for the kitchen, knowing that was where most of the Aoiya's staff shared their breakfast before beginning their day. Omasu was not there, but Aoshi was. He stood up as she entered the room and bowed slightly.  
  
"Good morning, Megumi-san," he said. "I hope you slept well."  
  
"I did," she replied, "which is surprising, considering what happened." She bit her lower lip and looked around the kitchen. "I wanted to thank Omasu- san for letting me borrow her things."  
  
"She had an errand to run before we open the restaurant today." Aoshi supplied. "Please, come and have some tea."  
  
Megumi settled herself across from him as he poured out some tea for her. "I really should return to my house today to get my own things, Aoshi-san."  
  
Aoshi's hand hesitated for just a moment before he put the teapot back in its place. He turned his gaze up to her face, studying her for a moment, judging if she was now strong enough to hear about the complete destruction of all her possessions.  
  
Megumi did not understand the strange expression he had on his face. "Aoshi- san? What is wrong?"  
  
He sighed and knew that he had to inform her. "You were too upset last night to pay any attention to what Okun found," he stated, his voice calm. "Whoever entered your house destroyed all your things, Megumi-san. All your clothes were torn and ripped and everything else had been smashed."  
  
Megumi put down her cup with a trembling hand and stood up, turning away from him. She heard a slight rustle of cloth as he stood up as well. "Everything?" she asked quietly as a single tear slipped down her cheek.  
  
Aoshi placed one hand on her shoulder and turned her around. He reached out and gently brushed the tear away before letting his fingers drop away. "Your things can be replaced, Megumi-san," he said, his eyes intent on her face. "You, however, cannot be replaced."  
  
She searched his face, wondering for a moment if his words carried more depth than the simple logic they entailed. She couldn't tell and so she dropped her head. "I know," she murmured in agreement.  
  
"Misao has agreed to go shopping with you today, Megumi-san, so you can at least buy what you need immediately," Aoshi said, his voice still calm, and yet in the back of his mind he wondered if the words he'd spoken only a moment before had conveyed too much. When he had begun his morning meditation just as the sun was rising, he had found it difficult to center himself. His thoughts kept drifting to her, the way she had felt in his arms, the way his heart clenched in fear every time he thought about the possibility of her stalker getting past the defenses he had set up to hurt her. He placed one hand on her arm. "Come finish your tea."

* * *

Megumi was startled later that morning when Aoshi announced that he had decided to accompany her and Misao on their shopping trip. She had never pictured Aoshi Shinomori shopping for anything. His eyes glinted with amusement when she expressed her surprise.  
  
"I do have to purchase something appropriate to wear for Misao and Soujiro's wedding, Megumi-san," he said lightly. "Now is as good time as any to do so."  
  
Thus, she found herself walking down the main street of Kyoto's market district between Aoshi and Misao, peering into various shops, especially those that sold clothing. She kept her purchases to simple, unembellished kimonos, one or two smocks, underclothes, and sleeping yukatas, given her limited monetary resources and the fact that she now had to replace everything she had ever owned. Aoshi hovered by her side constantly, except for when he entered one store to purchase of a simple but elegant outfit of his own for Misao's wedding.  
  
It was early on during the walk that she realized that Aoshi was continuing to watch over her. For a moment or two she felt irritated, thinking that no person, no matter how crazy, would dare attack her in the daylight while she walked around the market. He did not need to watch over her here. Her irritation soon melted away, however, when she recognized that she had been just as naïve about someone following her and breaking into her house. She kept taking surreptitious glances at Aoshi all afternoon, wondering how he was actually feeling about going on a shopping excursion with two women, but his face continued to wear a mask of calm coolness all afternoon.  
  
Misao soon left them by themselves as she went to search for presents for Soujiro. She had no need for clothing and knew that Aoshi was perfectly capable of taking care of Megumi. Aoshi and Megumi continued to stroll along the street, seldom speaking, but he never left her side as she peered into various shop windows. At one point during the afternoon, Megumi found herself drawn to one stall in which bolts of heavily embroidered fabric were laid carefully on several tables. The older, gray-haired man minding the stall stood up, smiled and bowed as she began to look at the many beautiful fabrics for sale. Her eyes fell on one bolt of sky-blue silk. It was a color she seldom wore, but this particular fabric had been daintily embroidered with red and pink roses along with violets sprinkled throughout. It was very pretty.  
  
"You would look very beautiful in a kimono made from that," the older man said.  
  
Megumi smiled in reply. "Thank you," she replied. She was used to getting such compliments from many people, but also knew that the man was trying to be a good salesman, but he didn't need to be much of one when he sold such beautiful fabrics. She slid one delicate finger down the soft silk, mentally counting the money she still had at her disposal, and shook her head. "Unfortunately...," she began to say and then smiled again at the old man. "Perhaps another time."  
  
"Of course," the man replied, moving off to speak with other customers.  
  
Megumi reluctantly left the stall, Aoshi still walking beside her, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes moving constantly, observing the crowd around them.. As they moved down the street, he glanced down at her once and then stared straight ahead again.  
  
"The old man was correct, Megumi-san," he said suddenly. "You would look beautiful in such a kimono."  
  
Megumi halted, her eyebrows rising in shocked surprise. "Are you paying me a compliment, Aoshi-san?"  
  
He did not turn to look at her, but continued to watch the people mingling in the street. "Just stating a fact, Megumi-san," he replied. His voice was flat, inflectionless. She stared up at him until he turned to face her. His countenance still wore the same calm, indifferent expression he had been wearing all day. "We should continue on, Megumi-san," he said, prompting her to walk forward. Megumi wondered vaguely if she was blushing.  
  
**Author's Note**: Once again, I am very grateful to everyone who has reviewed this fic. A special thank you goes out to Mirune Keishiko: You can gush all you want! 


	6. Chapter Six

> **Standard Disclaimers Apply**.  
  
_White Rose, Black Rose_  
  
By Amberle-chan  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Late that afternoon, Megumi insisted that she be taken back to the house to see the damage the intruder had caused. Okina did not think it was a good idea, saying she should wait until it could be repaired and cleaned, but Aoshi agreed to accompany her, knowing that it would be better for her to see it for herself, no matter how much it might upset her. She would need to see what had happened to her things so she could get a sense of what she needed to replace.  
  
Megumi walked slowly through each room, searching and assessing all the damage with clinical detachment. Aoshi had been correct in his description of the damage. Every piece of clothing had been torn to shreds, every book ripped and cut, every single bottle, jar, dish, plate, and cup broken and smashed. It was not until she returned to her bedroom and opened the door of her large trunk that the loss of all her things began to weigh down on her.  
  
She had so few things to remember her family by; most had been lost during the fire that had destroyed her childhood home. One of the few was a small, music box made out of mahogany that had belonged to her mother. It had been such a simple box, only a single delicate rose bloom carved into the wood. She knelt down and picked up what was left of the music box out of the chest. The top had been ripped off, the rose carving ruined by a slashing knife, the inner workings smashed beyond repair.  
  
"Megumi-san?" Aoshi said behind her. She had not even heard him come in.  
  
She ran her fingers over the box, trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. "It was my mother's," she whispered.  
  
He crouched down beside her. "What song did it play?"  
  
Megumi smiled sadly and shook her head. "I never knew what it was called...she died before she could ever tell me." She put the broken box back into the chest and closed the lid. "It was a beautiful song, though," she murmured, her voice choked.  
  
Aoshi wound an arm about her shoulders as she began to weep, pressing her back into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Megumi," he whispered tenderly as she wept out her sorrow and pain. He held her tighter, and he found his own heart aching for her. She truly had nothing left of her family now. Once more she would need to find the strength to rebuild again. How often could one person lose everything time and time again and not be broken by it?  
  
After only a few moments, she broke away from him and stood up. She dashed the tears away from her face. "I wish I could understand why," she said with sudden fury, her face hard with anger. "Who would do such a thing and why? I want to know why, Aoshi-san. I hurt people in my past. I know that. But does what I've done merit this?" She flung out her arms to the damage around the room.  
  
Aoshi was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, but he was heartened by it as well. Perhaps she would not break after all. He was glad that she had regained her spirit so quickly. "No, it does it not, Megumi-san," he stated firmly, his eyes hard as he looked down at her. "But I will help you to find out who and why."  
  
He led her out to the porch, and as just they moved past the next house, Megumi glanced back and spotted Shiro lurking by the back entrance to her garden. Then she remembered that the other Oniwabanshuu had been watching the house the day before. "Aoshi-san? I was too distraught last night to notice. How did whoever got in yesterday get past Kuro and Okun?"  
  
She couldn't help but notice the expression of anger that crossed his face. "That is the other reason I must find out who did this, Megumi-san," he said sharply. "Whoever this person is got past the Oniwabanshuu. He had to be very good to do that. Such a person is not only a threat to you but to us as well."
> 
> * * *
> 
> Aoshi informed her the following evening that he had hired some men that he trusted to repair the damage to her house. She thanked him profusely once again, but was a bit surprised when he waved her thanks away, saying that the men had needed some employment anyway. He told her that the house would be repaired in a few days.  
  
She went shopping the very next morning, searching for the practical everyday things that she would need to replace. Misao, Omasu, and Okun went with her.  
  
"Look at this tea set, Megumi-san," Misao said as they all browsed through one store that sold dishware. "Isn't it lovely?"  
  
Megumi ran one finger down the delicate china teapot that had been painted with blue forget-me-nots. It was indeed a lovely set, but one that she could not afford. She looked further down the shelf to another set that had been glazed all in blue. It was tea set she could afford to buy. She picked up one of the cups to examine it.  
  
"Are you going to take this set, Megumi?" Okun asked.  
  
"I think so. I don't really need anything fancy."  
  
"That's pretty, too," Misao said. "It's the color of Aoshi-sama's eyes."  
  
Megumi jerked up her head to stare at Misao in wonder, but the young woman had moved on to look at some other tea sets on the shelf. She gazed down at the cup in her hand. It was indeed the same blue as his eyes, the eyes that she had noticed watching her with a great deal of concern in the last three days.  
  
After Megumi purchased the tea set and a few other dishes, they stepped outside into the bustling streets of Kyoto's market district. They were not even twenty feet away from the shop doorway when they were stopped by the very young daughter of the woman who owned the store.  
  
"Please, you forgot this package," she said, bowing slightly as she handed a small box to Megumi.  
  
"But I have everything that I bought," Megumi protested.  
  
"No, you did forget this one. Okaasan was told you would pick it up today."  
  
Misao frowned. "By whom?"  
  
"By the person who ordered it." the girl replied. Omasu abruptly turned around and went back into the shop.  
  
Okun was also frowning. "What person? When was it ordered? What did they look like?"  
  
The young girl's expression was confused by all of the questions. "I don't know. Okaasan was just told to give it to a pretty lady dressed in a pink kimono like hers." She pointed at Megumi.  
  
Misao smiled at the child. "Thank you. You should go back now."  
  
The girl skipped back to the doorway just as Omasu stepped out. "She doesn't know who ordered it. All she received was a note three days ago asking her to make it and to give it to Megumi," she told them.  
  
Megumi's hand trembled as she opened the box and her face blanched at what lay inside. She flung the box away and what had been a glass-blown black rose a moment before shattered as it hit the ground.  
  
"We're returning to the Aoiya right now," Misao said firmly, grabbing Megumi's wrist and pulling her along the street. Okun and Omasu walked quickly along either side of Megumi, their eyes now searching the street for anyone who was paying too much attention to them.  
  
They reached the Aoiya several minutes later and were barely across the doorway when Misao called out, "Aoshi-sama! Get down here!"  
  
The door to Aoshi's office opened and he appeared at the top of the staircase. "Misao, you know better than to yell...," he began to admonish the young woman as he came down the stairs, but then he saw the expression on her face. "What happened?"  
  
"Megumi-san got another rose," Misao answered.  
  
"Are you alright, Megumi-san?" Aoshi asked.  
  
Megumi shook her head. She suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion descend upon her. The whole situation was becoming too much for her to deal with. Was there nowhere she was safe from this madman? "Please...I'm tired," she muttered, hanging her head down. Without another word, she turned and climbed up the stairs. A minute late they all heard her room door slide open and close.  
  
Aoshi watched her retreating form until the door slid closed. His eyes narrowed as he turned to the three other women before him. "What happened?" he repeated.  
  
Misao explained the situation, with other brief explanations from Okun and Omasu.  
  
"He ordered the rose three days ago?" Aoshi asked  
  
"That's what the shop keeper said," Omasu answered. "He's watching us, too, Aoshi-san, and has been for awhile. He knew that we would take Megumi-san to that store."  
  
"Hai," Aoshi agreed, already realizing that fact even before Omasu spoke of it. His expression turned hard. "You all know what to do now. Contact all the others here in Kyoto. This person, whoever he is, is very skilled, but he will falter sometime and we must be there when he does. Misao, I know you'll tell Soujiro. Omasu, please inform Kuro and Shiro. Where is Okina?"  
  
"He went out with Sou," Misao said. "I'll go find them now." She hurried out of the door; Omasu and Okun quickly followed.  
  
Aoshi returned to the upper story of the house, pausing momentarily in front of Megumi's closed door. There was no sound from within. Deciding to leave her be for the moment, he went back into his office, leaving his door open for once so he could hear if she stirred. He did not want to leave her alone with all of the others gone from the house.  
  
Okina stepped into the office a half-hour later. He was slightly startled by the open door but refrained from commenting. "Misao told me what happened. I sent her and Soujiro to tell Cho. I had a feeling that you did want to leave Megumi-san by herself."  
  
"This one is clever, Okina," Aoshi said. "Not only does he watch Megumi- san, but he watches her friends as well."  
  
Okina brushed his fingers through his beard, a sign that he was thinking. "Another onmitsu perhaps?"  
  
Aoshi nodded. "Perhaps. But I also keep thinking about the damage done to Megumi-san's house. He is attempting to frighten her, threaten her, that much is certain. However, after I what I saw, I'm also positive that he is angry with her as well. Why destroy everything that she owned? He could have achieved his aim of terrifying her just by sending the notes and the roses. He is furious with Megumi-san. I could almost sense it as soon I stepped into the house."  
  
"So you are definitely thinking that it has something to do with her past? When you both worked for Kanryu?"  
  
"No. That is one thing I would disagree with. If he knew about her past with Kanryu, he would know about mine as well. I have not been threatened in any way. I do not think it is revenge for that."  
  
Okina remained silent for several moments, still combing his beard. Aoshi leaned back in his chair, patiently waiting to hear what the old man would say next. He was also thinking as well, of the young woman who still remained quietly in her room. He was disturbed by her reactions to the afternoon's events. He knew that she normally had a strong spirit, a fighting spirit. He had heard the anger in her voice the other night, seen the fury in her face as she wondered why she was a target. Yet this afternoon she seemed defeated. Had she reached a breaking point?  
  
"There is one other concern that I have, Aoshi," Okina said. Aoshi turned his attention back to the older man. Okina had stopped brushing his beard and his hands were now laying quietly in his lap. "I am worried that you are becoming too involved in this. I know that you wish to help Megumi-san because of what she has done for all of us in the past; however, I am not blind. I can see that you care for her. I'm worried that it will cloud your thinking." Okina stood up and moved to the open doorway. Aoshi did not reply, his face expressionless, his eyes icy.  
  
"Do not get too entangled, Aoshi," Okina advised as he left.  
  
Aoshi stared in the direction of the closed door at the end of the hallway. "It's too late for that," he murmured.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Despite what he knew to be logical advice from Okina, he could not help becoming even more worried when he joined his friends for dinner and Megumi had still not emerged from her room. He found Misao in the kitchen preparing a tray to take up to her.  
  
"I'll take it, Misao," Aoshi said, picking up the tray from the counter. Misao did not say anything, but her eyes looked up at him curiously. Aoshi chose not to answer the questions those eyes asked.  
  
Moments later, he tapped lightly on Megumi's door. "Megumi-san, may I enter?" he asked. There was a soft sound of assent from the other side of the door.  
  
Aoshi slid the door aside. Megumi was standing by her window, staring off into the night. She did not turn around as he set the tray down on the small table. "You should eat, Megumi-san," he said.  
  
"I am not safe anywhere, am I?" Her soft question floated across the room to him. "And perhaps because I am here, neither are any of you."  
  
"Megumi..."  
  
"I figured out that he had to be watching everyone here at the Aoiya as well. How else would he have known to go to that shop?"  
  
He walked across the room to stand at her side. "The Oniwabanshuu know how to take care of themselves, Megumi-san," he assured her softly as he placed one hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. "You are safer here than anywhere else."  
  
Her head fell forward, her face enshadowed by her long hair. "I don't want anyone to get hurt because of this, Aoshi-san. Perhaps I should go back to Tokyo or even Aizu."  
  
"He could find you in those places as well, Megumi-san," he replied softly. "You should not let yourself be defeated by this man's actions, Megumi Takani. Do not run away. You are too strong a woman for that."  
  
She shook her head, her loose hair lashing against her face. "I'm not feeling very strong right now, Aoshi-san," she murmured. "Perhaps you think too highly of me."  
  
He tilted her head up with one finger; Megumi found herself staring up into blue eyes that were soft with concern and warmth. "There is no other choice but to think highly of you, Megumi-san. I believe in your strength. Now you must believe it yourself."  
  
Megumi gazed up at him wonder, a light blush dusting her cheeks as his fingers dropped from her face. She could not find any words to say in reply to his compliment as he lightly wrapped his hand around her elbow and led her over to the table. "Please eat something, Megumi," he insisted as he headed toward the door.  
  
Her soft voice stopped him before he crossed the threshold. "Aoshi?" she asked quietly. He turned back to her, his eyes and face now hidden by the shadows of the doorway. "Thank you." He bowed deeply in reply and was gone.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Every night since Megumi had begun to stay at the Aoiya, she and Aoshi would retreat to the small common room just for the staff and play chess. On most nights, their nightly game would be watched by the others or when it ended too soon due to Megumi's ongoing losing streak, she would watch as Aoshi and Okina played. Tonight they were alone. The others were in the kitchen talking about the preparations for Misao's and Soujiro's wedding.  
  
Megumi glanced at Aoshi from underneath lowered lashes. He was so handsome, that cool exterior never wavering, but after several weeks of being his constant companion, she was finally convinced that his heart was not made of ice. The conversation they had had several nights before had proved that to her. He had been too kind to her, too caring. She found her herself thinking about him constantly, wondering if she was feeling infatuation for the man who was her protector or something deeper. She knew she wanted his protection because she felt safe in his presence, but as the days and weeks passed, she wanted his companionship as well. When he wasn't there, she felt...lonely. Could it be something deeper, something she just wasn't willing to admit to herself or to Aoshi, yet? And if she ever did make her feelings known to him, would he reciprocate? What did he feel for her?  
  
Aoshi's nimble fingers took hold of an ivory-carved bishop and moved it forward.  
  
Aoshi watched the candlelight flicker across Megumi's beautiful face, which was now frowning, as she concentrated on the game. She had learned the game quickly in the several weeks they had been playing it, and he knew that someday she would match his mastery of it.  
  
Megumi moved her rook to the center of the board.  
  
However, she would lose once more to him tonight.  
  
"An interesting choice, Megumi-san," Aoshi commented dryly. Megumi looked up to gauge his expression, but found only his normal coolness as he studied the chess board between them, his head propped on one hand. He stared at the pieces laid out before him silently for several moments before reaching out to move his queen to threaten the rook.  
  
Aoshi then gazed at Megumi through shadowed eyes. She had recovered some of her spirit over the few days since they had spoken in her bedroom, but he felt that she was still fragile, still vulnerable to the terror the stalker wanted her to feel. He felt strangely drawn to that fragility, wanting to protect her, needing to protect her. He had gone far out of his way to protect her when they had both worked on the Kanryuu estate. Did his feelings for Megumi go back that far? Had he been denying them, locking them away for so long because he was afraid to admit them to himself or to her?  
  
Megumi's brown eyes were intense on the board as her delicate fingers hovered over one piece and then after a moment's hesitation moved to wrap around a knight..  
  
Aoshi recognized the move she was going to make. She was going to move her knight to bishop six, leaving her king vulnerable, and suddenly he could not allow it. He did not want her to lose tonight. He wanted her to win.  
  
Megumi was slightly startled when Aoshi's hand lightly descended upon her own. She looked up to find his blue eyes studying her intently. The coolness that had been there only a few moments before was gone, replaced by a reflection of what she had been feeling only moments before. "Are you sure that is the move you wish to make, Megumi?" he whispered. Megumi swallowed, all thoughts of the chess game lost as she stared at the handsome man sitting before her, his warm hand clasped around her own. He was gazing at her the way he had the other night when he told her he believed in her strength, but there was also something more. Something she suddenly wanted to understand. "Aoshi...," she murmured.  
  
Aoshi's head suddenly whipped up and toward the staircase behind them. In an instant, he was leaping up the stairs to the upper story. Megumi watched for only a shocked second before she followed him, her own speed hampered by her kimono.  
  
She recoiled in horror when she reached the top of the stairs. The door to her room was ajar, and Aoshi was struggling with someone in the doorway. They both fell backwards into the room, their arms locked tightly about each other. She ran to the doorway, just as the black-clad intruder broke free of Aoshi's grip and backed away, his hands raised. In one hand was another black rose, in the other kunai. Aoshi stepped in front of Megumi, one of the small sharp weapons cutting his cheek as he spun her out of the way. The intruder threw the black rose to the floor. "Nine," he called as he leapt out of the window.  
  
"Stay here," Aoshi ordered, as he ran across the room and jumped out the window to follow the intruder.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Aoshi did not return to the Aoiya until an hour later. His quarry had successfully eluded him. He punched one hand against the entranceway in frustration. He had not let his skills deteriorate over the last few years despite a lack of need for them. How had the intruder gotten away so fast if he had not been trained in the ninja arts himself?  
  
Aoshi became even more upset when he could not find Megumi anywhere within the main house of the Aoiya. His anger was well honed by the time he finally found her in the Aoiya's gardens, her back to him, her dark hair hiding her face. He approached her slowly. "I thought I told you to stay inside," he said, barely contained fury suffusing his voice.  
  
"I can't do this anymore, Aoshi," she said, ignoring his anger, her tear- strained voice a mere whisper. "I can't allow you to protect me anymore."  
  
"Megumi...," he whispered, his anger gone in an instant.  
  
"No!" she cried vehemently, whirling around to face him. "I don't want you to get hurt because you are protecting me."  
  
"It's just a scratch, Megumi. You've seen me with far worse."  
  
"And what if it does become worse? What if it's something I can't fix next time?" her voice choked as she lifted one finger to trace the line of the cut on his cheek. "I don't want you to get hurt, Aoshi. I've lost too much...I...can't...lose...you."  
  
She half turned from him, embarrassed that she had finally revealed all that she had feeling for him for the last few weeks, but Aoshi wrapped his hand tightly around her wrist, pulling her forward, as his other hand reached out to cup her face, tilting it upward. "I would not lose you, either, Megumi Takani," he stated roughly. His blue eyes glittered sharply as they locked onto her startled cinnamon irises. "Do you yet not understand why I choose to protect you? Why I need to protect you?" he demanded as he bent down to claim her lips with his own.  
  
Megumi was startled only for a moment as Aoshi's lips brushed insistently against hers, but then her arms twined about his neck, bringing him closer so she could kiss him back as passionately as he was kissing her. She parted her lips to allow his tongue to enter her mouth, wanting to discover his taste. He willingly obliged, the velvety softness of his tongue dancing and entangling with her own. When they finally parted to catch their breath, she fell against him, wrapped tightly in his arms, her face pressed against his chest.  
  
"I will continue to protect you, Megumi Takani," he whispered fiercely as his hand brushed down her hair. "I will not allow anyone to hurt you. This I swear with my life. There is no other choice for me."  
  
She pulled back slightly to look into his face. "Aoshi..."  
  
"Hush," Aoshi murmured as he bent forward to kiss her again.  
  
Megumi leaned back long moments later to gaze up steadily into his eyes. "Why me?" she breathed.  
  
Aoshi's blue eyes flickered in puzzlement. She smiled up at him tenderly. He seldom wore such an expression, and she found it endearing. Her voice stumbled as she tried to make him understand the question she was asking. "I was just wondering...given our past... why? You could have anyone you wanted."  
  
He gathered her more tightly into his embrace, his lips brushing her forehead before he gently pressed her head to his chest. "You have touched me as no other woman has, Megumi. I have never met anyone kinder than you, and yet you are fierce as well, especially when you are caring for others. I've seen it so many times, and I've had no choice but to admire you. Even when your life is threatened, and you have every reason to think only of yourself, you think of others. You amaze me, Megumi Takani."
> 
> * * *
> 
> **Author's Note**: First and foremost, I must thank my brother, otherwise known as "The Tree," for his contribution to this chapter. He has a Master's rating in chess and gave me the chess moves that are written in the chess scene. I could have probably written this scene without them, but I wanted to lend a little authenticity to the proceedings. Thanks, Tree! -  
  
Second, there are some reviewers/readers who are speculating as to who Megumi's stalker may be. Well, dear fans, as one of my favorite authors, Robert Jordan, is fond of saying: "Read and Find Out."  
  
A foxy laugh floats through the air as Amberle-chan glides out into the night...


	7. Chapter Seven

****

**Disclaimer:** Watsuki-sensei and Co. owns the Kenshin-gumi. I'm just playing with them.  
  
**Author's Note**: Once again, I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story. This is the next to the last chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
  
_White Rose, Black Rose_  
  
By Amberle-chan  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Megumi barely spoke when she joined the rest of the Aoiya staff in the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. The others did not comment on her silence, thinking that she was troubled by the incident of the night before. But she was not troubled, she was gathering her determination together as she waited for Aoshi to appear.  
  
After she and Aoshi had finally parted, she had returned to her room, all of her thoughts centered on him, on the way he had held and kissed her. She lay awake for hours, pleasantly distracted by the memories of his touch, but then as the night slowly passed, she also began to worry about his safety. She had seen the determination in his eyes as he vowed to protect her. She knew in her heart that she needed his protection to a certain degree, that she wanted it, but she also did not want to him to get hurt again. He told her that she was fierce, but she did not feel that way. She was becoming sick of being scared all the time, of wanting to flee in the opposite direction any time someone threatened her. She wanted to be stronger than she felt at the moment, but by herself; she did not want to be completely dependent on Aoshi's strength, no matter how much he was willing to give it. But she did not know where to find the strength she craved. Then, as the minutes moved on and sleep inevitably claimed her weary body and mind, it occurred to her suddenly that there was one way she could become stronger...  
  
Aoshi did not arrive until they had started to clear away the dishes. When he entered the room, she carefully put down the dishes she was carrying on a nearby counter and turned to him.  
  
"You have done many great favors for me over the last several weeks for which I am very grateful, Shinomori-san," she said formally. "If it is not too presumptuous, I would like to ask for one more."  
  
Aoshi arched one black eyebrow in surprise at her sudden formality, but he replied just as seriously. "I am happy to serve, Takani-san. What is it?"  
  
She locked her eyes onto his. "Will you teach me to defend myself?"  
  
Misao dropped the plate she was carrying. Luckily, it did not break, clattering loudly as it spun and hit the floor, but Misao ignored it as she whirled Megumi around to face her. "But why, Megumi?" she demanded. "You're a doctor! You don't want to hurt anyone!"  
  
"That is true, Misao-chan," Megumi replied as she turned back to face Aoshi, "but after last night's incident, I realized the none of you can be with me every minute of the day, and it is not fair to any of you for me to ask such a thing."  
  
"But Megumi-san!" Okun broke in.  
  
Megumi did not turn to face her but kept her eyes steadily on Aoshi. "No, Okun-san. I must learn to do this. I will no longer stand by and let myself be hunted. I must protect myself. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because I don't know how to."  
  
Aoshi studied her with narrowed eyes for several long moments before he replied. "Hai, Takani-san, I will teach you."  
  
Megumi bowed. "Thank you," she said before she left the room.  
  
Aoshi followed her a few minutes later to the back staircase that led up to her room. He reached out for her hand as she placed it on the banister, causing her to turn and stare at him.  
  
Aoshi's blue eyes, usually so cool, were full of worry for her. "Are you sure about this, Megumi?" he asked, his voice soft. "You know that I will protect you."  
  
Megumi was standing on the second step of the staircase; for once, her eyes were level with his. "I know that, Aoshi," she answered, "but I don't want to feel this way anymore. I want to help myself. Perhaps this way I can and not be a hindrance to you."  
  
"Megumi, you could never be...," Aoshi began to say, but he stopped speaking as she placed her fingertips against his lips. She suddenly grinned wickedly at him. "The Oniwabanshuu Okashira gave his word in front of all those witnesses in the kitchen. Now that we're alone, are you taking it back?"  
  
His eyes sparkled in amusement as he chuckled, a sound that she had never him utter before. "Never, Megumi Takani," he growled lightly as he removed her fingers from his face and entangled them with his own. "We'll start your lessons tomorrow morning."

* * *

Aoshi began to teach Megumi some very simple hand-to-hand techniques the next morning, concluding that that if she ever truly had to use these methods, they would be the least hurtful to her conscience, because they were defensive only and not designed to kill. He had also given some brief consideration to letting Okun or Omasu teach her instead, but given that her stalker was a man, he decided against it. Men fought differently from women and she would need to learn to protect herself against a man. He would train Megumi himself, just as she had requested.  
  
At first he was surprised at her relentlessness in learning to protect herself, but as the days went on, he once again saw that fierceness she had shown him so many times before, particularly when she was taking care of her patients. It seemed to him that she had simply transferred some of that intensity to her own self-preservation. He did not think that she would have ever the same level of skill of the Oniwabanshuu women or even Kaoru Himura, but each day she gained strength and some speed, and his admiration and affection for her grew even more.  
  
Every morning they would practice together and then he would escort her to the hospital and return there in the evening to walk her back to the Aoiya. Their conversations as they walked together were light, playful, and teasing, but yet he would not touch her as they strolled down the streets of Kyoto, preferring to keep that aspect of their growing relationship private. Often times in the twilight, he found secluded spots for them to be alone together, making sure that each place was secure from prying eyes.

* * *

Two weeks passed, then another two. There had been no more roses, no more notes. Aoshi had his suspicions as to why the stalker had retreated, wanting them all to become relaxed and less cautious before he could strike at Megumi again, but Aoshi remained wary and watchful. He had even begun to slip his kodachis into his belt, hiding them beneath his black coat, before he picked up Megumi at the hospital each night. Megumi had protested when she first realized that he had started to carry them again, but it was the one thing that he refused to be budged on. As he walked toward the hospital, he remembered with fond amusement that afternoon more than three weeks ago when she realized that he had been carrying the twin blades. Megumi had called him a "stubborn idiot" and attempted to take the sheaths from him with one of the moves he had taught her. He had easily blocked her, of course, and Megumi had found herself encased in his arms, being soundly kissed.  
  
"I will use whatever is at my disposal to protect you, koishii," he whispered, his breath warm against her hair.  
  
"It doesn't mean I have to like them, you stubborn idiot," she muttered against his chest.  
  
"When all of this is over, I promise to never touch them again."  
  
She shook her head and pulled back from him to look up into his face. "No...no," she answered. "I would never ask you to make such a promise, Aoshi. I may not like these swords, but they are also part of who you are. I cannot ask you to change that."  
  
Aoshi's only answer was to bend down to kiss her again.

* * *

Dusk was only beginning to descend when Aoshi knocked on Megumi's office door. When she did not answer, he entered, not at all surprised that she was not there. He often had to wait for her to finish up with her patients before they could leave. As he placed the small package he was carrying on her desk, he noticed the single sheet of paper that lay open as if it had only just been read. It was a simple note, asking Megumi to:  
  
_ Come meet me. I've got to talk to you_.  
  
The note was unsigned, but it was entirely possible that Megumi had recognized the handwriting and gone to meet whomever had requested her presence. He picked up the note and narrowed his eyes. The texture of the paper was expensive, something his fingers had held once before. He held it up to the last of the fading sunlight and his eyes narrowed even further. Two images had been drawn in the bottom right- and left-hand corners, so tiny that they could easily have been missed. Black roses.  
  
Aoshi rushed out into the hospital corridor and abruptly stopped a nurse who was walking briskly by. "Excuse me, have you seen, Takani-sensei?"  
  
"Yes, I have," the nurse answered. "Just a few minutes ago. She said she was going to the commissary."  
  
Aoshi barely heard her finish the sentence as he turned and flew down the hospital corridor.  
  
There were only two or three lamps lit as he crossed into the commissary moments later. But they were enough for his eyes to see that all of the chairs and tables had been pushed off to the side and Megumi's unconcious form lying in the middle of the floor, a single black rose by her head. He rushed to her side, kicking the rose viciously out of the way as he knelt down. He laid his hand on her cheek; it was still warm against his palm and he could feel her breath gently blowing against his fingers. She was alive, but he could not tell how badly she was hurt.  
  
"You taught her well, Okashira," a voice suddenly spoke. Aoshi looked up and spied a figure in the shadows on the far side of the room. "She put up quite a fight, but, of course, she was no match for me."  
  
"You will die for this, bastard," Aoshi promised, his voice a low threatening growl as he flipped his kodachis out of their sheaths.  
  
The dark-haired man standing in the shadows did not turn but chuckled madly. "I knew you would come for her, Aoshi Shinomori," he said, "I planned it that way." He turned around; Aoshi's eyes widened in shock as he beheld Benjiro Inoue. The doctor who had taken an oath never to harm anyone was holding two kodachis of his own.  
  
"No doubt you want an explanation," Inoue drawled as he pointed one sword toward Megumi's motionless body. "She was never the target. You were. From the very first day, I could tell how much you cared for her and she for you, although you did keep your feelings hidden very well for a long time. But I observed it from the first day. And she was so helpful, revealing that you were the Oniwabanshuu Okashira. I've been looking for you a very long time, Aoshi Shinomori. It was then that I began to make my plan to draw you out. All I had to do was place Megumi-san in danger, and I knew you would protect her. And I've had so much fun watching the two of you together, that I decided I wanted to see you suffer before I killed you. I want to take what is most precious to you away, just as you took what was mine. I will kill you a little at a time, and with your last dying breath, I will kill her."  
  
Aoshi's eyes narrowed, deepening into a teal color, as he tightened his fists around the hilts of his kodachis. "Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
"Oh, that's right, we haven't been properly introduced, have we?" his opponent answered, as he perched the kodachis on his shoulder. "Everyone thinks that I'm Hideo Inoue's son because we have the same color eyes, but I'm not. He adopted me when I was a child. My real name is Benjiro Daichi." He smiled wryly as Aoshi's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm so glad you recognize the name. Not many people remember my mother anymore, especially since you killed her."  
  
"She tried to poison Tokugawa," Aoshi replied harshly. "I was performing my sworn duty to protect him."  
  
"Yes, well, of course, I swore an oath of revenge over my poor mother's grave," he said. Aoshi began to circle around him carefully, realizing that the man standing before him was insane, something that he could perhaps use to his advantage. Benjiro continued to prattle on. "I've been studying the ninja arts for years, dreaming of the day I would finally meet you. And now you're here." He lowered the two swords from his shoulders and pointed them at Aoshi, grinning madly. "Isn't it wonderful how dreams come true?"  
  
Aoshi did not reply, but raised his swords upwards, prepared to fight for Megumi's life and his own. He took his usual defensive stance, his kodachis held out to his sides, staring at his opponent, measuring and weighing him, ticking off the list of everything he knew about Benjiro Inoue in his head. Inoue was intelligent, skilled, highly trained, and patient; all traits that Aoshi possessed himself. However, Inoue was also obviously mad with revenge, a state that Aoshi had once been familiar with and gotten past thanks to the help of Kenshin Himura. They both had much in common, making them evenly matched.  
  
"We are alike in so many ways," Inoue stated sarcastically, his own kodachis held ready. "That's what you're thinking right now, isn't it? That our skills are matched? Well, you're wrong. You are weak, Shinomori." In a flash, Inoue stood above Megumi's still body, one kodachi point held against her throat. "Here is your weakness, Shinomori." The blade flicked and a thin line of blood pooled down Megumi's neck.  
  
It was the only provocation Aoshi needed. He attacked.  
  
With a twin clash of steel, he forced Inoue away from Megumi's unmoving form. Through the cage made by their crossed blades, Inoue laughed. "I was right, wasn't I? I just love being right."  
  
"You know nothing, fool," Aoshi growled. He leapt back, once more surveying his opponent for a moment before he moved into his Kaiten-kenbu, the lightning quick dance that made him appear to be in several places at once.  
  
Inoue laughed again, a mad guffaw resounding throughout the room. "Do you actually think that would work with me?" He also moved into Kaiten-kenbu, matching Aoshi step for step. Suddenly, one of his kodachis slashed down and out, burying itself in Aoshi's thigh. Aoshi's leg collapsed and he found himself braced on his other knee, one kodachi point embedded in the floor for support. Inoue stepped back for only a moment, still grinning madly before he attacked again. Aoshi barely had time to lift his kodachi to block the blow, the sharp clang of steel against steel ringing through the air, but he was too slow to block Inoue's second kodachi. It ripped deeply into his chest.  
  
Inoue moved back, assessing him. "Perhaps you and I aren't so evenly matched after all, Shinomori," he declared.  
  
Forcing his injured leg into movement, Aoshi stood up and attacked.  
  
Back and forth they danced across the room, the only sounds their harsh breathing, the ringing of steel, and Inoue's occasional loud maniacal cackling as he slashed into Aoshi one more time. Aoshi ignored the pain of each wound, his only concern that Inoue be kept away from Megumi. Aoshi's kodachis slashed out and two bloody lines appeared on each of Inoue's upper arms, and then before the other man could even recover, the kodachis flashed again and twin wounds appeared on Inoue's thighs.  
  
"You'll pay for these, Shinomori," Inoue growled.

* * *

Megumi's head was pounding when she came to a few moments later and tried to push herself off the floor. She opened bleary eyes to see that Benjiro had backed Aoshi into a corner and that his attacks were getting fiercer with each swing of his swords. She could tell that Aoshi was bleeding from at least a dozen wounds, one or two that were bleeding profusely. Even with her limited knowledge of sword fighting, she could tell Aoshi was going to lose, her Aoshi would lose...  
  
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she launched herself at Benjiro. "No! I won't let you hurt him anymore!" she cried as she crashed into him. He was so surprised by her attack that he dropped one of his swords and lost his footing. Megumi's momentum pushed him over a nearby table; he tumbled over the other side and landed with a loud crash. She ran over to other side of the table, kicking his other sword out of the way as she went. He had hit his head on the edge of the table, but after pressing two fingers to his carotid artery, she could tell that he was still alive.  
  
"Megumi." Aoshi's voice was a harsh whisper behind her. She whirled and rushed over to support him as he slowly slid down to the floor.  
  
"Aoshi," she whispered, caressing his face lightly.  
  
His blues eyes drank her in. She was alive. He reached up to cup her face with gentle fingers. "Are you alright, Megumi?"  
  
She brushed her lips against his palm and nodded. "I'm okay, Aoshi, " she murmured reassuringly. "I'm okay."  
  
He stared deeply into her eyes, gazing into the soul that was a match for his own. "It was worth it, then," he said tenderly. "I love you, Megumi Takani." His hand fell from her face as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into her arms.  
  
"Aoshi!" she screamed as she gently laid him on the floor. "Don't you dare die on me, Aoshi Shinomori!" Tears flowed down her face as she pulled his shirt off to inspect his wounds. "Don't you dare die. I love you too much to let you die..." 


	8. Chapter Eight

****

**Standard disclaimer apply**: I'm just playing with them, Watsuki-san...honest, I am!

_White Rose, Black Rose_

By Amberle-chan

Chapter Eight

After Megumi tore up every piece of cloth in the commissary to staunch the flow of Aoshi's blood, she ran back into the hospital hallway, screaming for help. Two residents and a nurse answered her summons and ran back with her toward the commissary. All of three of them were shocked to see Dr. Inoue lying unconscious on the floor, but after telling them that he would be fine, she instructed the two residents to carry Aoshi to the nearest room with a free bed. It was then she tried to become the efficient, clinical doctor, because she knew that if she didn't, she would fall apart and be no help whatsoever to Aoshi. He grew paler with every drop of blood that pumped out of his wounds, but as the minutes passed, his skin turned ashen and gray. She then ordered the two residents back to get Inoue, bring him to another room, and look after him. She next asked the nurse to fetch another doctor immediately to help her and to bring hot water and fresh bandages.

She had already unwrapped the makeshift bandages she had placed earlier around Aoshi's chest when Dr. Sugikawa, an older doctor on the staff, arrived in the room. "What happened here, Takani-san?" he demanded as he rushed over to the bed to grab Aoshi's wrist so he could check his pulse.

"Dr. Inoue attacked us," she replied tersely. "I don't know why...please help me, Dr.

Sugikawa." She gently lifted another blood-soaked bandage off Aoshi's body.

He reached out to grab her hand. "Stop, Dr. Takani. I'll take care of him."

She lifted tear-filled eyes to the older doctor's face. "I have to help him," she sobbed softly.

"You're too emotional right now," Dr. Sugikawa said. "I will take care of him." He bent down to inspect the open wound on Aoshi's chest.

She backed away from the bedside, one trembling hand pressed against her mouth. "You have to save him...please you have to save him," she gasped pleadingly.

Dr. Sugikawa did not reply but began the work he needed to do to save Aoshi Shinomori's life.

* * *

Hours later, Aoshi remained in a coma. After Dr. Sugikawa had tended to Aoshi's wounds, Megumi stood by his side, both of her hands clutched around Aoshi's arm. She looked up at the older doctor, already knowing what he would tell her, but terrified of hearing it. 

"I'm not going to lie to you, Takani-san," he said gently. "He's lost a lot of blood, and the wounds to his chest and leg are severe. You know more than anyone else right now what that means. He could live or he could die. We have to wait."

"This is Aoshi Shinomori, Doctor. He's too stubborn to die," she said vehemently as she tightened her grip around his arm. She then bent down and laid her forehead against his. Aoshi's breathing was a shallow rasp against her face. "I love you, Aoshi. Please don't prove me wrong," she whispered desperately.

Later on that day, with Misao's help, Megumi dragged an old futon into Aoshi's hospital room so she would not have to leave his side. All of the Aoiya staff had crowded into the room at one point, all of them silently staring as Megumi continually encouraged Aoshi to wake up in barely heard whispers. After a few moments, Okina quietly ordered everyone out of the room. Megumi lay awake on the futon for the remainder of the night, waiting for any sign that Aoshi was awakening.

Hideo Inoue visited briefly the next morning, bowing deeply as he entered the room. "I deeply apologize for this, Takani-sensei," he said formally. "I knew how Benjiro's mother died, but it never even occurred to me that he would seek revenge. I tried to teach him not to dwell in the past, to live in the present moment and for the future. Perhaps I did not teach him well enough. Please forgive me."

Megumi looked at the older man with pity and just a touch of scorn as she gently brushed some hair away from Aoshi's face. "Perhaps you did not know your son at all, Inoue-san."

The older man bowed again. "Hai. Perhaps," he agreed. "How is Shinomori-san?"

Megumi gazed down at Aoshi's beloved face tenderly. "He's strong," she answered softly, brushing a finger across his cheek. "He'll pull out of this. He will."

Inoue did not say anything, a look of profound sadness crossing his face as he watched her. He could see how close Aoshi Shinomori was to death. He silently prayed that Megumi Takani's faith in Shinomori's strength was accurate. He bowed once again and left.

Another night passed and then another day. Megumi hovered by Aoshi's bedside, refusing to even leave to eat until both Okina and Misao demanded it of her.

"You have to eat and rest, Megumi," Okina insisted. "You'll be no good to Aoshi whatsoever if you're exhausted when he wakes up."

"Jiya is right," Misao stated. "Go back to your office. We'll watch over Aoshi-sama for a little while."

Megumi walked back to her office, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. As she opened the door, her eyes widened slightly at the small brightly wrapped package that lay on her desk. She trembled as she slid a finger along the wrapping. Was it another "gift" from Benjiro Inoue? Then she shook her head...the package had not been there when he had left his last note. She opened the wrapping and lifted the lid of the box.

Inside was a small music box of ebony wood, a white rose in full bloom painted on the lid. She lifted out the card that lay next to it and read:

_I know that this can never replace the music box that once belonged to your mother, __but please accept it with all my love._

_Aoshi_

Megumi lifted the lid of the music box, and a soft song tinkled out. It was the same song that had played on her mother's music box. How had he known? How had he found out? She stood up, her hands clenched around the music box. "Rest be damned!" she thought vehemently as she ran out of her office and down the corridor back toward his room. She was never going to leave his side. Never.

All of the Oniwanbanshuu came several times to check on her and their leader's condition during the night. Dr. Sugikawa appeared numerous times to check on his patient, each time leaving the room in silence. Another day passed.

Despair began to take over Megumi's spirit that night. Tears fell glistening down her cheeks as she brushed her lips against Aoshi's pale forehead, pleading with him not to die. "You once told me that you believed in my strength, Aoshi Shinomori," she murmured as she leaned close to him. "Now hear me. I believe in your strength as well. You are too stubborn to do this. You will not die."

She sat down in the chair by the bed, folded her arms by his side, laid her head upon her hands, and cried herself to sleep.

Aoshi's fingers were entangled in her hair when she awoke. Raising her head slightly to look at him, she found his blue eyes gleaming down at her. She reached out to cup his face with her hand, a smile of pure joy lighting her face. "Aoshi...," she whispered.

* * *

Two days later, Megumi went to the police station accompanied by Okina and Misao. Benjiro Inoue had been taken into custody as soon as he had regained consciousness. Cho had requested her presence while he questioned the fallen doctor. The interrogation was very long and tiring, and Megumi soon grew exhausted of hearing Benjiro's mad voice. 

But soon all of what had happened was revealed and the reasons as to why Benjiro had stalked Megumi and attacked Aoshi.

"Why did you destroy all her things?" Okina asked. "If you knew you could draw Aoshi-san out just by threatening Megumi-san, why destroy everything she owned?"

"She humiliated me," Benjiro muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" Cho said.

"She humiliated me!" he screamed. "A mere woman! I could not let that go by without some retaliation!"

Megumi huffed and clenched her fists, shaking her head in disgust.

"I have one last question," Cho said as he rose from his seat and leaned over the prisoner. "How did you know Takani-sensei's nickname was 'Fox'?"

Megumi lifted her head in surprise and stared at Benjiro Inoue, suddenly remembering the note that had been written on the back wall of her house. She had never told anyone at the hospital her nickname. How had he known?

A chill ran down her spine as Benjiro cackled madly. "You're kidding, right?" he gasped through his laughter as he looked at her "That's your nick name?" He laughed again. "I guess it was just a happy circumstance! I used that word because that's how you acted around your students! You were so sly when you taught them that I couldn't help thinking that about you. Ha! A happy circumstance! A happy circumstance!"

Megumi stood up and without a word turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Okina followed her a moment later. She stood just outside the door, her arms wrapped around herself.

"You know what's so sad about this whole thing, Okina-san?" she asked. "He really was an excellent doctor. What a waste!"

"Need for revenge drives many men mad, Megumi-san," Okina replied. "You know that. You saw that at one time with Aoshi."

"Yes, but Aoshi had the strength to move past that madness, just as he had the strength to live and come back to me."

* * *

Weeks later it was determined that Benjiro Inoue was insane. He was remanded to the custody of an asylum in Yokohama, but on the night before he was to be transferred there, he was found dead in his cell. He had hung himself with some bed linen. His father, horrified by his son's actions and deeply saddened by his suicide, resigned his post at the hospital and left Kyoto for good. 

It took weeks for Aoshi to recover enough so that he could return home to the Aoiya, and even when he did return, he walked with a slight limp, a final testimonial to the great harm that Benjiro Inoue had inflicted on him. But as the time drew near for Misao and Soujiro's wedding, the limp gradually disappeared.

His face was solemn as he gave Misao into Soujiro's keeping, but Megumi could see by the light in his eyes that he was happy for them both. Misao was radiant as she and Soujiro quietly pledged their vows. The wedding celebration was loud and joyful and lasted long into the night. Megumi remained at Aoshi's side throughout the evening, her fingers entangled in his own, not needing any conversation, just content in his strong presence and the knowledge that he was finally whole and alive. Aoshi was also content as his eyes took in the frivolity around him, but they always returned to the beautiful young woman at his side. She was smiling at the merriment around her, her head pillowed against his shoulder. Aoshi's eyes roamed once more around the garden and then dropped back to her face when she laughed delightedly as she watched Okina beat Kuro at arm wrestling for a third time in a row.

"Kuro always loses," Aoshi murmured, his words only for her hearing. Megumi turned her face up to him just in time to see a small smile cross his lips. "In all these years, he has never learned what he's doing wrong." He shook his head, a glint of silent laughter in his eyes.

"You've never told him Okina's secret?" Megumi asked.

"No, I thought he should figure it out for himself," he replied, and then paused, his eyes widening in sudden wonder. "Wait...you know Okina's secret?"

She nodded, smiled and laughed again. She pointed toward Okina, whose legs were splayed and firmly anchored to the ground. "Okina has got better leverage than Kuro. And as he long as he does, Kuro will always lose."

"But how...?"

She reached up to touch his face with one finger. "I had a very good teacher." He did not reply but brushed her forehead with his lips and brought her closer into his embrace.

Moments later, Kenshin joined them, smiling. "I'm very glad to see you both happy and whole, that I am," he said. "Both Kaoru and I were upset that we could not be here to help, but given the circumstances," his words trailed off as his eyes sought his wife, who was sitting on the other side of the garden, surrounded by Omasu, Okun, and Misao, one hand held protectively against her swollen stomach. "It will be a girl this time, of that I'm certain."

"Congratulations, Himura-san," Aoshi said.

"Perhaps you can help me with advice, Aoshi-san, seeing that you raised Misao so well." Kenshin said.

Aoshi arched an eyebrow. "I have no doubt that you will do very well, Himura-san."

"Perhaps." A sudden mischievous gleam came into Kenshin's eyes. "And then again, you also will be busy with... other things."

"Ken-san?" Megumi asked, a puzzled frown crossing her face.

Kenshin's eyes were all innocence, but his smile was cryptic as he looked back at her. "I should get back to Kaoru, that I should." He bowed slightly and left.

"Himura-san sometimes has a strange sense of humor," Aoshi commented. Megumi quirked an eyebrow up at him but kept her silence.

It was nearing midnight before all the wedding guests began to leave or return to their guest rooms. Misao and Soujiro had left quietly on their own an hour before. Megumi stood up and stretched. Aoshi watched her movements with pleasure and Megumi blushed slightly as she noticed his unwavering gaze. She stretched out a hand toward him. "I'm not really tired yet. Will you play a game of chess with me?"

He took her hand and they went back into the house together.

An hour later, Aoshi gave Megumi a measured glance. Either he was very distracted or her chess game was improving. His head was propped up on one hand as he watched her fingers wrap around her knight to move it to bishop six and his eyes gleamed in amusement. "Are you sure want to move that way, Megumi?" he asked her. "I seem to remember warning you about that move once before."

Megumi gazed back at him, a mischievous glint in her own eyes. "Oh, I'm sure, Aoshi."She moved the knight and smiled in smug satisfaction as his eyes widened in surprise. "Checkmate!" she declared. It was the first game she had ever won.

Aoshi stood up, picked up his king, walked over to her, and placed it gently in her hand, wrapping her fingers about the ivory carving with his own. A light blush tinged her cheeks as she looked up at him. His gaze was searing and intense and she found herself getting lost in the deep crystal blueness of his eyes. For a moment she remembered how she had once thought of those eyes as icy and expressionless, but now she knew the truth.

Aoshi Shinomori was certainly a quiet man, a private man, and could be calm to the point of frustrating her to pieces, but she would never think of him as being "icy" ever again.

Aoshi reached out to caress her cheek. She was so beautiful. So fierce in spirit. She had regained her strength back just as he had regained his, and they had shared in that journey together. And he knew now in his heart that he wanted their journey together to continue. He bent down to kiss her tenderly, but after a moment he turned from her and walked to a chest on the other side of the room. He opened the lid and pulled out a box, returned to her, and laid the box in her arms.

She looked up at him wonder. "Aoshi, what...?"

"Open it."

She lifted the lid of the box and put it aside. Then she gently removed several layers of tissue paper, finally revealing a blue silk kimono embroidered with red and pink roses sprinkled with violets throughout. "Aoshi," she breathed, "it's beautiful."

He gazed down at her with tender eyes. "I would be greatly honored if you would wear it on our wedding day."

She stared up at him with startled, wide irises. "Wedding day?"

His long, slender fingers reached out to caress her face. "Marry me, Megumi."

Megumi's hand slid up to wrap around the hand that was pressed against her cheek, her eyes beginning to glisten. Alarmed, Aoshi knelt down next to her. "Megumi? If you do not wish to...."

Her radiant smile instantly allayed his fears as she laced the fingers of her other hand through his hair. "No...no," she assured him softly.. "I couldn't help remembering how I almost lost you all those weeks ago. You were so close to death, Aoshi, so close...but you're still here, and I never want to let you go." She stared into his crystal eyes, her own eyes gleaming with undisguised warmth. "I want you to hold me forever, Aoshi."

His only answer was to enfold her into his warm embrace, his lips brushing against hers in a tender kiss. He pulled back after a moment to gaze down at the beautiful woman in his arms who held his heart and soul in her hands. "I'll never let go, Megumi," he whispered. "Aishiteru."

The End

* * *

**Author's Note**: Once again, I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. A special thanks goes to Evil-Addict who gave me such a wonderful review in the last chapter. A very special thanks also goes to the ladies of the Shrine of Ice and Fire who gave me lots of support. My most heartful thank you is for my beta reader, Eriesalia. She opened my eyes as to how much fun it is to write about Aoshi and Megumi. Guess what, S? You've got a true convert on your hands now! - 


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